The Little Things Are Most Important
by JustBeMe13
Summary: "You'll not take my wife from me!" Shoda roared as he charged. Zoro's brow furrowed and he looked at Sanji, his eye widening. Sanji stared at him, totally relaxed now that Zoro was here. He didn't know what he looked like, but judging by Zoro's blush, it was sexy enough to startle the Swordsman. ... Sanji is forced to eat a Devil Fruit and it comes with some interesting changes.
1. Chapter 1, Devil Fruit

**Chapter 1, Devil fruit. **

Sanji's eyes opened blearily and he immediately registered the searing pain in his neck. He shifted, and with a groan, lifted his head from his chest to look around. His spine felt crumpled and he twisted to crack the joints. With a 'pop' they cracked satisfyingly and Sanji sighed. He knew it wasn't over, though, when he felt the stiff ropes wrapped around his wrists, holding him down in a chair. His arms were numb and he couldn't feel his legs. A fleeting memory burst through his brain and he groaned again.

"Fucking Marines," he mumbled.

Another groan made it to his ears and Sanji spied around the dark room, catching sight of one green haired Swordsman. Sanji rolled his eyes. How did he get stuck here with him? The Swordsman shifted in the chair he was strapped to and lifted his head, one bleary eye opening to stare straight at Sanji.

"Welcome to the land of the living, Marimo," Sanji snorted.

Zoro sent him a glare, turning his head away to ignore the blond. Sanji huffed, he didn't need the bastard to get out of here. He shifted again, tugging at the ropes he could reach with his numbed arms.

"That's not gonna work, you know," Zoro commented.

Sanji glared at him, noting he still couldn't feel his legs. Why was that, he wondered. Zoro was still looking at him with a glare. Sanji glared right back, until he began to get worried that he really couldn't feel his legs.

"I-" he hesitated. "I can't feel my legs," he finally said.

Zoro groaned in a way that made Sanji guess he knew what was wrong. "They drugged us, idiot. Or don't you remember?" Zoro bulged his muscles to demonstrate that he wasn't at full strength either and kept talking. "I can't even get out of here."

Sanji sighed, resigning himself to waiting. "Guess we don't have a choice but to wait for the Captain to come and bust us out."

Zoro hummed in response and slumped in his seat. Sanji let his head fall back and stared at the dark ceiling. It really sucked to be captured. He hoped the crew was alright without two of their main fighters. Sanji knew the rest of the crew was perfectly capable of defending himself, but he was rather with them to help than be captured and not able to help.

"I wanna get out of here. When does the drug wear off?" Sanji asked the darkness.

Zoro huffed. "Don't know, don't care. Let's just wait it out."

Sanji sighed. He hated waiting. Waiting made him anxious for what was to come. And he didn't like that they weren't in a normal cell, it gave him the creeps. His suspicions were confirmed when the heavy metal door opened to let in bright light and a light switch was flicked on to illuminate the dark room. Sanji squinted, trying to make out who had come in.

When his sight cleared of the black spots, Sanji groaned as he recognized the Marine Captain that had led the attack on the Sunny. So this was the bastard that had captured them. How? That still eluded Sanji's mind. The captain was a burly man, strong muscles decorating his body. His head was tinged red, eyes hidden by a pair of sunglasses and punky black hair that refused to stay down with gel. He also seemed slightly fatter than he should have been.

"Hello pirates, my name is Captain Shoda and as you can see, you're my prisoners," the man said as he walked over to a table that stood against the far wall.

Sanji couldn't see what was on it, but he guessed they were torture devices. Judging by Zoro's look, who was closer, they were. Shoda turned to them, a box in his hand. It was a wooden box, decorated with golden accessories. Sanji thought it looked like a treasure chest.

"This, my dear pirates," Shoda began, taking off his sunglasses to spy at them with green eyes. "Contains a Devil Fruit. I will ask you a few questions and if you give me the right answers, I'll let you out of here. If you don't, I feed you the Fruit and then see what happens."

Sanji shuddered at the thought. The bastard was planning something and Sanji didn't like his gaze. He wondered what Devil Fruit was in the box. He knew they both didn't want to eat one, Zoro really didn't.

"Why would we answer you?" Zoro glared at the man, snapping his question.

Shoda grinned, dropping the box on the metal table and walking up to Zoro. He bend down to look at Zoro, and Sanji was surprised when Shoda punched the Swordsman so hard his chair rocked back and he slammed his head onto the cement floor. Sanji's eyes widened as Zoro coughed hard, spitting blood onto the floor next to him. His cheek was red and beginning to turn purple, spreading to his cheekbone and his eye-socket. His lip was split and blood dripped from his mouth to form a puddle on the floor.

"How about now?" Shoda asked.

Sanji didn't answer as he was still watching Zoro. The Swordsman's eye was heavy and he seemed dazed. How could one punch do that to Zoro? Said man coughed again and groaned, turning his head to stare at the Captain.

"Thought so," Shoda bloated and turned to Sanji.

Sanji looked at him with sudden fear. Zoro's gaze had told him that that punch was extremely hard and painful, so even that Zoro had almost passed out. Shoda identified his look as fear and grinned evilly.

"I guess I found my target," he said and advanced on Sanji.

Sanji's eyes widened and he attempted to scoot back, which failed obviously. Shoda grabbed him roughly by the hair and Sanji only then noted the other person in the room. It was an Officer and he was walking towards the Captain with a sword drawn. Sanji was hoisted out the chair, suddenly, and the ropes were slashed off of him.

"Hey! Let go!" Sanji protested, limbs still too weak from the drug.

Shoda didn't answer him and dropped him to the floor, walking back to the table to retrieve the box. Sanji, meanwhile, was crawling over to Zoro, numb fingers fumbling with his bonds. The Officer behind him didn't even try to get him away from his friend, didn't seem to care.

Zoro caught his eyes, a worried expression lay dormant in the man's only remaining eye. Sanji swallowed hard. Zoro couldn't help him when he was still down. And the Swordsman knew that. Still, Sanji quickly undid his wrist bonds, though he kept it hidden from the Officer and the Captain.

A rough hand in his hair yanked him away from Zoro and he released a cry of pain. Zoro's eye widened and he growled low in his throat.

"Don't touch him!" the Swordsman roared.

Shoda shot out his foot and caught Zoro right in the stomach. The swordsman cried out in surprise and sudden pain, curling in on himself and shivering, limbs shuddering to a stop when he passed out.

"He can really pack a punch, I though the first dose I gave him was enough already," Shoda complained.

"Sir, you should have used more power in the first dose. He is known to be strong, but you did a good job punching him, it'll look lovely in the morning," the Officer noted.

Sanji's hands were scraping in his hair, trying to pry the hand in it loose, to no avail. He was dragged through the room, to the door, he realized with shock. They were gonna separate him from Zoro! He struggled more, numb limbs trying hard but failing.

Zoro's form was struggling to get up, but Sanji couldn't see if he actually got up because the door swung shut in his face, trapping the Swordsman in darkness. Sanji noticed the Officer had grabbed the tools from the table, along with the treasure chest. The blond cook was dragged through the hallway, few Marines giving him a worried look. The grip in his hair was bruising and he grit his teeth, trying to ignore it and focus on getting out of it.

He was suddenly flung to the floor in another room, and he scrambled up to get away. Sadly, his legs refused to support his weight and he crashed to the floor. Sanji cursed when the Officer grabbed him and wrestled him into a chair. Clasps were secured over his wrists and he was stuck. Sanji struggled with all his might, but it didn't work in his favor.

Shoda walked up to him, the Devil Fruit out of the box this time. It was a strange looking Devil Fruit. One side was smaller than the other and it seemed to be an apple. The color was strange as well. One side was blue while the other was pink. Sanji shuddered, it looked revolting.

Shoda smiled at his disgusted face, holding the Devil Fruit up to him. "This is the Karada Karada No Mi. The Body Body Fruit if you will. You will eat it, and with this," he paused to hold up a collar. It was small, but made out of metal. Sanji swallowed. "With this, I can control the powers of the Devil Fruit. I can make you do whatever I want."

Sanji noted the tone of madness in his voice and he gulped, he didn't really want to know what that Devil Fruit was going to do to him, and he couldn't defend himself. He was helpless. And he had to accept it. Shoda advanced on him, ordering the Officer to leave them. When the Officer was gone, Shoda gripped Sanji by the chin and forced his mouth open. Sanji, of course, protested, but with legs numb and arms bound, it was useless.

Shoda pressed the Fruit inside his mouth and Sanji gagged as it touched his tongue. Yeah, revolting. The Captain forced his mouth open further and pushed the Fruit further inside, to which Sanji's air way was cut off and he was forced to swallow the thing whole. It tasted horrible and he coughed, spitting saliva out on the floor and trying to rid his mouth of the nasty taste. Shoda looked at him, stepping back to get a better view. Sanji lifted his head to glare at the man once his mouth stopped trying to make him vomit.

Shoda moved back and fished the collar out of his pocket, lifting Sanji's head to secure it around his neck. Sanji growled, but didn't protest, it was useless anyway. Once Shoda was done, Sanji let his head hang. He felt horrible for letting this all happen and he didn't even know how he got captured anyway.

Shoda made a chuckling sound and turned to leave. "The results will be evident tomorrow. 'Till then Black Leg Sanji. Tata!" he said as he swung the door shut, leaving Sanji in utter and complete darkness.

**o-o-o**

_Sanji kicked the offending Marine to the side and sprinted over the ship, jumping up the railing and kicking off to land on the larger vessel. He spotted Zoro, going at it with all three swords and slashing, killing his opponents. With a grimace, Sanji kicked another Marine in the teeth and send him flying into a group that had been sneaking up to Zoro._

_The Swordsman sent him a glare, but Sanji ignored him in favor of fighting his own battle. He spotted a high ranking Marine overseeing the battle and he charged, certain that if he knocked out that man, the rest would follow soon. The man spotted him, and Sanji realized a little too late why the man had a mad grin on his face. _

_Something was shot and hit Sanji right in his neck. He yelped, pulled the thing out and looked at the Marine that shot it. The guy was grinning and Sanji's vision blurred. Shirt, that dart was drugged. Sanji swayed on the spot and he vaguely heard Luffy yell his name. Then Zoro screamed something else and a searing pain registered in the back of his neck. _

_His knees buckled and he fell to the slippery deck. Hands were on him in an instant and he was hoisted up, handcuffs secured around his feet and wrists. In his blurry vision, he spotted Zoro running towards him and he couldn't help but grin a little. _

_Suddenly though, Zoro flinched, and Sanji knew what that meant. Zoro sheathed one sword and pulled something from his neck. Sanji groaned as the Swordsman swayed. Then, a large marine swung a bat at his head and the man went down hard. The last thing Sanji saw was Luffy's screaming and desperate face. _

**o-o-o**

Sanji's eyes opened for the second time and he wondered if he even had them open. It was so dark he couldn't see a thing, but he knew he was still captured. His wrists were sore from the shackles and he could finally feel that the Devil Fruit he ate was real. A strange sensation had started in his body, it wasn't unpleasant, just new and slightly weird.

He could hear voices on the other side of the door, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. With a groan, he managed to sit himself upright, letting his head roll from side to side to work the kinks out. Sanji blinked, then decided to close his eyes if they were useless to him anyway. His ears focused and he could finally hear what was being said.

"He's been trying to get out of the room for the whole night. There's a dent in the door and he trashed the table against the far wall. He's livid, sir. Should we drug him again?" a voice said.

"No," that was Shoda. "He's fine, just keep an eye on him while I'm busy with Black Leg. I'm not sure that the Demon of the East Blue will help him. According to the media, they hate each other's guts."

Sanji couldn't help but snicker at that. True, they hated each other, but not enough to forsake one in need of help. They'd saved each other's asses a number of times and Sanji had been grateful for every single one. They were also best friends, though it didn't seem like it at all. Still, it was nice that he could rely on Zoro when he needed him. But now, Sanji doubted that Zoro could help him. They were both in a tight spot, backs against the wall. They were also separated, which didn't make it better.

The door to the room opened and Sanji kept his eyes closed. He didn't want to seem awake, better stay unnoticed for a few more moments. Footsteps thudded around the room and a sudden pain flared in Sanji's neck. He gasped, eyes opening in surprise.

"I see you're awake," Shoda said with a smirk.

He held a small remote in his hand and Sanji guessed that was what had caused the pain. Shoda walked over to him, lifting his head with a gentle hand. Sanji glared at him, ripping out of his grasp. Shoda shrugged, turned around and closed the door, locking it.

"You gave me a Devil Fruit, but I don't know how to use it. What the hell do you want from me?" Sanji snapped at the Marine Captain.

Shoda walked back to him, remote at the ready and he gently turned Sanji's head again. Sanji growled, but didn't rip out of his grasp again. Shoda was looking at him rather strangely. It was a look that send shivers down Sanji's spine.

"You're new powers are actually quite useless, Black Leg. But to me," Shoda said, caressing Sanji's jaw. "They're intoxicating."

Sanji's shivers began to become more obvious as a sinking feeling began to form in his stomach. This was bad, and Sanji didn't even know what was going to happen. He didn't know what kind of powers he had, but he had a feeling they were something inconvenient for this particular moment. Very much so actually. If Shoda was suddenly being nice to him. That couldn't be a good sign. It was a very, very bad sign. Sanji swallowed hard, glancing around the room for something that could help him escape this place and go back to the Sunny.

"You know," Shoda caught his attention again. "I used to have a blond woman as my companion. We were married, she was a wonderful bride and wife to have." Shoda seemed nostalgic and Sanji deflated even more. "She died, killed by a pirate. And ever since, I have been looking for a replacement."

Sanji swallowed extra hard this time. "Y-You have?" he asked.

Shoda nodded slowly. "Her eyes were the shade of the ocean, so blue that they seemed to go deep, deeper than the ocean itself." Shoda looked down on him. "You're eyes look like hers," he said.

Sanji cursed. He knew this was coming. He'd felt it deep in him. The Devil Fruit was gonna turn him into a woman, not that he was going to complain. Being a woman seemed nice, and he was sure the crew wouldn't complain if he could still cook and fight. But on the other hand, it seemed so weird, and with this man here, it seemed even weirder. This guy wanted to, what? Marry him? Suddenly, Sanji's eyes widened as he finally understood what the man wanted from him. This guy was gonna rape him!

"I see you finally found out what I have been planning. Maria was my one and only love, and I want her back. You'll do anything I say with this collar, if you want it or not," Shoda said. "This Devil Fruit can change your body, make you a male or a female. Make you smaller, taller, fatter or lankier. But, my desire is for you to look like my blonde angel, Maria," Shoda whispered.

Sanji glared, and only then noticed that the clasps around his wrists were made of Sea Prism Stone. He couldn't escape. Shoda clicked a button on the remote and a searing pain shot up Sanji's neck, into his head to fill it with haze and pain. Sanji screamed, his lips releasing the cry before he could clamp down on it. Agonizing pain shot to his wrists and he felt the flesh burn. Shoda quickly uncuffed him and Sanji fell to the floor, grabbing his wrists and writhing in pain.

"Now, change for me into her, Black Leg Sanji!" Shoda exclaimed.

Sanji felt his body shift, change into something else. His face became smaller, more feminine. His body shrunk a bit and his legs and arms lost their muscle mass. His chest grew heavy and his clothes were suddenly too big for him. His hair felt longer suddenly, and it was heavy. Shoda pulled him up and Sanji's vision cleared. He spotted a mirror in the room, having not seen all of it the day before. There was also a bed in the corner. Sanji's eyes fell on the mirror again, and he stared at his own reflection. He looked like a woman indeed. And he looked rather beautiful.

He was heaved up, his limbs still heavy and useless. Sanji was dumped on the bed, and suddenly his jacket was gone, tie and shoes following it to the floor. Shoda loomed over him, threatening and dangerous. He began unbuttoning Sanji's grey dress shirt. Sanji kicked at him with his feet, losing his socks in the process. Shoda gave up on the irritating buttons and he pulled of Sanji's slacks. Sanji's pale, slightly thicker thighs were revealed, thin calves and small feet followed.

"Get off of me!" Sanji screamed, pushing against Shoda with all his might, but his thin arms were less strong than he would have liked.

"You're the ultimate prize, Black Leg. You look just like her!" Shoda exclaimed as he removed the pants to knead at Sanji's thighs.

Sanji groaned, he could do absolutely nothing. He was palming at Shoda's coat, trying to get him off. Shoda ignored him and leaned down to lick up his neck. Sanji flinched, disgusted. Shoda spread his thighs, not seemingly caring that he was still wearing the boxers. Shoda weaved a hand through his hair while the other climbed up his legs. Sanji shuddered in loathing.

"Get off you pervert! I'm not your dead wife, you sick psycho!" Sanji screamed.

Shoda paused, seemed to consider it and then shrugged. "I don't care, just for one night I shall dream again!" he said.

Sanji blanched and scrambled, kicking the man in the shin hard and he tried to flee. Shoda gripped his hair firmer and yanked him back, tilting his head as he sealed their lips. Sanji sputtered and pushed, but nothing worked. His shirt was unbuttoned farther and farther, (only three of the seven were actually opened), but not far enough when the door suddenly blew off its hinges and the kiss was broken. Shoda released him and Sanji scrambled back, planting his back against the wall.

His eyes widened when he spotted Zoro in the doorway, all three swords in hand and glaring daggers at Shoda. Sanji felt relief and he sighed, glad he wasn't totally naked or else it'd been awkward.

"Let him go, bastard," Zoro growled lowly.

Shoda stood, stepping over Sanji's discarded clothes to pull out a sword. "You'll not take my wife from me!" he roared as he charged.

Zoro's brow furrowed and he looked at Sanji, his eye widening. Sanji stared at him, totally relaxed now that Zoro was here. He didn't know what he looked like, but judging by Zoro's blush, it was sexy enough to startle the Swordsman. Zoro's attention was pulled away from the blonde as he blocked Shoda's attack. Sanji took that time to get off the bed, limbs still weak, but now strong enough to hold him. He gathered his clothes and knew he didn't have the time to put them back on. They needed to get out of the Marine Base as soon as possible. Sanji happily noted that his grey dress shirt was long enough so that it fell over his hips. He noted Zoro was driving Shoda away from the door and he ran to it, getting out of the fear inducing room as quick as possible.

"Oi Cook! Get out of here while you can! I'll hold him off!" Zoro called, grunting as the blade Shoda had pushed him back.

"I can't!" Sanji said back in a hurry. "I'm too weak like this, I need you!" he admitted.

Zoro send him a look and Sanji rolled his eyes. He looked left and right and spotted a trail of downed Marines in one way and no one in the other. He ran to one Marine and searched his pockets for a map or a possible Transponder Snail. He found the latter. He quickly dialed the Sunny, knowing they wouldn't be far off.

"Hello? Who is this?" Nami snapped on the other side of the line.

"Nami-san! It's me, Sanji. We need a ride out of this one, can you get the Sunny close enough?" Sanji asked quickly.

He could almost hear Nami frown as she said. "Why do you sound different. Wait, never mind, I don't want to know. I'll see what I can do."

The Snail was hung up and Sanji dropped it. He turned back to the room and suddenly found himself heaved over Zoro's shoulder. He cried out in surprise as Zoro took off hastily. Sanji could hear Shoda screaming for back up, but none would come. Zoro ran like his ass was on fire and Sanji could do nothing but hold on.

"Marimo, my clothes!" he yelped as he realized he'd left them on the floor.

"No time!" Zoro replied, turning around a corner and slashing a Marine in his way.

Sanji suddenly screamed, pain exploding from his neck. His hands flew to the collar and he trashed on Zoro shoulder. Zoro came to an abrupt halt, taking Sanji off and putting him down. Zoro's hands were on the collar, and he tugged on it. Sanji cried out again as another wave of agony passed through the metal and into his fried nerves.

"You won't get that off, Demon of the East Blue," Shoda said as he appeared from behind them.

Zoro growled, leaving Sanji in utter pain on the floor. He took of his green robe and dumped it on the blonde. Sanji scrambled to get it, having something to hold in his clenching fists. The pain was less now, but it was still horrible. Sanji watched, through teary eyes as Zoro took out a sword and pointed it at Shoda.

"Whatever you're doing, stop it or I'll kill you," he said dangerously.

Sanji's head was spinning, darkness creeping on him. He could vaguely hear Shoda laugh. Zoro's voice was suddenly more worried than it had been before as he said something again. But Sanji couldn't hear it. He was swallowed by darkness a split second later.

**o-o-o**

Sanji's eyes opened for a third time. He groaned, wondering if he was still in the Marine Base. Movement underneath him told him yes. He wasn't thrilled to be carried bridle style, but it felt kinda nice and the arms around him where strong and warm. Sanji blinked a few times and focused on the person carrying him. Green hair sprouted from the head and three golden earrings dangled in his immediate vision.

"Oh, it's just you," Sanji mumbled sleepily.

Zoro looked down on him. "You're awake," he said softly, almost gently.

Sanji nodded blearily. "Yeah, were are we?" he asked.

"Outside, I'm trying to find the Sunny. Are you okay?" Zoro said, adding the question as an after though it seemed.

Sanji nodded again. His head felt heavy, but slightly less on the other hand. His hands lay in his lap and he forced one to go and feel his neck. The collar was gone, leaving angry and irritated skin underneath. Sanji let out a smile, happy to be free of the damn monstrosity. Zoro saw his smile and smiled back.

"Oh, you didn't change back to a man so," Zoro said a bit awkwardly.

Sanji only then noted that Zoro wasn't wearing his green coat and he felt around to notice that he was wearing it. It was warm and comforting, and Sanji felt like sleeping again.

"Oi! Don't go back to sleep. Cook, hey! Cook? Sanji!"

**o-o-o**

Voices woke him up and he hoped it was the last time he was gonna pass out. He hated it, like for real. The arms around him were still there, but the voices seemed distressed. Sanji listened, but kept his eyes closed.

"What happened to him?" Nami asked.

"He turned into a girl," Zoro deadpanned.

Nami growled and Sanji felt Zoro shift, guessing he evaded a punch.

"Are you stupid! Do you want me to drop him?" Zoro seethed.

Nami didn't say anything more and Sanji guessed she was still fumingly mad.

"Why's he a girl though?" came Ussop's voice.

Zoro sighed, the movement expanding his chest and letting Sanji soak in his warmth. "He was forced to eat a Devil Fruit. I don't know what it was called but he was a woman when I got to him. He didn't change back. I don't know if he can," he said, going quiet with the last part.

Silence stretched for a while and Sanji had no plans to break it. That would be awkward.

"Is he alright though, can I examine him?" Chopper broke it.

"And where in the heck are all his clothes?" Ussop exclaimed.

Zoro stiffened a little, and Sanji's hand clenched in his coat. Zoro seemed to have noticed, for he rubbed circles in Sanji's shoulder soothingly. Sanji relaxed again, though slightly.

"He-" Zoro began. He cleared his throat when he could say no more and tried again. "That Marine Captain forced him to change, probably, and when I burst in the bastard was... Kissing him." A gasp flew over the crew and Sanji tensed again. Zoro's rubbing on his shoulder did nothing this time. "When I told him to leave the Cook alone, he screamed that I wouldn't take his wife from him. I, uh, guess he was out to r-" Zoro stopped, words clogged in his throat.

Sanji opened his eyes a tiny bit and looked up at the distressed Swordsman. Zoro noted his gaze and swallowed. The crew stayed silent, but Sanji knew they got what Zoro had been trying to say. And thus, Sanji told Zoro that he wanted to get out of there without words. Zoro received said message and motioned for Chopper to follow him. Sanji stayed silent, eyes closed as they made their way to the infirmary. Chopper instructed Zoro to lay Sanji on the bed and when Zoro did, Sanji grabbed his arm before he could leave.

"Stay," he said in a croaky voice. "Please."

Zoro only nodded as Chopper set to work on their injuries. Sanji felt a smile creep up his face, just a small one, before exhaustion took over again and he fell into darkness once more. Zoro's warm hand in his, his only comfort.


	2. Chapter 2, Explanation

**Chapter 2, Explanation**

The rocking of the ship was a comfort now. He knew he was at home before he even had to open his eyes. And damn, Sanji was waking up a lot of times now, and not normal sleep. His eyes fluttered open and he stared at the ceiling of the infirmary. It was peaceful and calm. They were probably out on the open ocean now, away from the Marine Base. Safe. Sanji yawned, and on que his stomach rumbled it's hunger for food. He wondered how long he had been asleep. Sanji sat up, swinging his legs over the bed. His eyes popped open in shock as he realized he was a man once more. A breathless laugh left him and he felt up his own legs with trembling hands.

"I'm normal again," he said to himself.

Sanji got off the bed and made his way to the galley, opening the door slowly. He hadn't known the crew was talking until it was suddenly silent and everyone was staring at him. Sanji cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly.

"Morning," he said.

Zoro snorted into his mug of sake and began coughing. That gave the rest of the crew the motivation to smile and happily welcome him back. Luffy yelped that Sanji had to cook him meat. Chopper scolded Luffy for saying that because 'Sanji needs rest!' Nami bonked Zoro on the head for laughing and Zoro laughed even harder at that. Ussop stood, telling Sanji he would cook for now, which Sanji happily accepted. Robin was sipping coffee with a small smile, Brook his tea and Franky was chugging his cola while winking at Sanji.

"Sanji are you alright?" Nami asked once the ruckus had died down.

Sanji nodded, but his stomach rumbled again and he grinned. "Fine, just hungry. How long have I been sleeping?" he asked.

Nami's face fell a little, she didn't answer. Zoro's mug slammed on the table and Sanji startled. Zoro's gaze was hard, but soft at the same time, he seemed conflicted.

"You've been sleeping for a week, Sanji," Zoro said.

Sanji's jaw dropped because of two things. First, a whole week sleeping? Why? And how? Second! Zoro said his name! Sanji gaped at the Marimo in utter confusion.

"Wait what? How?" he asked, turning back to Nami.

Nami sighed. "You turned back the moment Zoro brought you to the infirmary, and you fell into a coma right after," she told him.

Robin pipped up then, with some interesting information. "It seems like your body needs the same amount of nutrition ours need to function after using our powers. Captain-san eats a lot and I just drink coffee, Skeleton-san drinks his milk and Doctor-san eats the candy or sleeps when he's tired. You didn't do any of those, and Paramecia type need energy replenishing for us to function. You must either eat or sleep to keep up your strength, and seeing as you were forced to change by that Marine Captain, I can say that your body wasn't used to it and pulled you into a coma."

Sanji nodded slowly, understanding the situation. On que, his stomach rumbled again and that same moment, Ussop handed him a plate with scrambled eggs and two pieces of toast.

"It's not much, but it's good," the Sniper told him.

Sanji smiled gratefully and took a bite, surprised that it tasted rather nice. "This is good, Ussop. Thanks," he said.

Ussop send him a warm smile and sat back down at the table. Sanji joined him and continued eating. The crew picked up their conversation and Sanji felt right at home once more.

"Hey, Sanji," Chopper said.

Sanji looked over at him and hummed. "What is it, Chopper?" he asked.

"What does your Devil Fruit power do? Zoro didn't know what it was because he was separated from you at the time you got it. Did the Captain tell you?" Chopper asked with a worried look on his face.

Sanji nodded his head, concluding that he did actually know what the Fruit had been. "It's called the Karada Karada No Mi. He said it translated to Body Body Fruit," Sanji began, catching the attention off the crew. "He also told me that I can change my body to any given form. So I can get smaller or taller, bigger and apparently I can also turn into a girl."

Chopper frowned, "But your clothes weren't shrinking with you, where they?" he asked.

Sanji nodded, bringing his hand up to feel at his neck. He touched bandages instead and rubbed at them softly, his neck did feel a little sore. "No, they didn't."

Chopper huffed. "But that's not right!" he said. "Paramecia is supposed to change your clothes to fit your new appearance, like mine and Luffy's do," he explained.

Zoro spoke up then, "Maybe it was the collar, maybe it was blocking part of his powers."

Sanji nodded, it seemed logical. "The only thing is, I don't know how to use my powers," he said.

Chopper smiled then. "That's got more to do with imagination. You have to believe that you can change into what you want to become."

Robin nodded to this and demonstrated by using her powers to pick up her cup. "It's not as hard is it seems, you just have to see what you want to happen. Once it's done, you needn't do anything until you think of turning back."

Sanji agreed and finished eating his food. "How did we get out of the Marine Base by the way. I don't remember any of that," he said.

Zoro huffed, then, and crossed his arms. "Sunny got into the harbor, and I got there right after you passed out the second time."

Sanji nodded, sending Zoro a small smile in thanks. He stood, taking the plate to the kitchen. Chopper told him he'd better rest for a few more hours before really getting out of bed. Sanji agreed without trouble, he was tired anyway. So, back to the infirmary it was. After getting more peaceful sleep for a few hours, Sanji was good to go and he wanted to test out his new powers. With new clothes and confident views, Sanji decided he would consult the other Devil Fruit users on the ship.

Robin was the best choice he could come up with. He found her in the library, where she spend most of her time reading. Sanji knocked on the door and Robin looked up at him with a smile.

"I see you decided to ask for help, Cook-san," she said.

Sanji nodded and sat down on a chair while Robin laid her book away. Robin looked at him with a stern eye and Sanji wondered if he made the right choice.

"I want to see you change into a girl, Cook-san," Robin said to him.

Sanji blanched. "I don't know how," he said.

Robin regarded him flatly. "We told you didn't we. Use your imagination and try it. It can never hurt to try."

Sanji nodded and closed his eyes, thinking about what he had looked like in the mirror. But, that may have been a bad idea. He remembered how pale he had been, how his eyes had sunken in and how dead he had looked that way. He remembered the pain he'd felt given by the collar, how agonizing it had been to change that time. How his brain felt like it had oozed out of his head. How he'd felt, ripped apart from the inside, searing fire roaring through his numb limbs.

Sanji gasped, hands flying to his chest to grasp at his khaki shirt. His chair rocked back and he could hear Robin's suddenly worried voice float around the room. Sanji's head slammed into the floor as the chair tipped over and darkness swallowed him so suddenly that he hadn't even realized it until he was no more.

**o-o-o**

Sanji eyed Chopper warily as the Doctor examined him for any brain damage he could have received in the fall. The blond Cook had awoken in the infirmary for the umpteenth time and this time half the crew was there to meet him. Zoro was sitting against the far wall, eyes closed, seemingly relaxed. But Sanji knew he was anything but that. His muscles were tensed in a way that suggested he was ready for battle, or anything to go wrong with said Cook he was secretly worried about. Luffy was sitting on Chopper's chair, eyes on Sanji with a serious air around him. It was one of those very few times that Luffy was serious, when one of his crew members was in harm's way. Robin was there as well, standing next to the door opening and talking with Ussop in hushed tones as they discussed Sanji's situation. Chopper was still prodding at his head and wrapping a bandage around it all the while, ignoring everything and anything that could possibly distract the young Doctor from working on his patient.

"Are you sure that could be it?" Ussop asked quietly.

Sanji was dying to know what they were on about, and he guessed they were talking about his earlier episode. He shuddered just thinking about it. Robin interrupted his thoughts when she spoke.

"I think so, there's really no other explanation for it. He could go on with it for a little while."

Sanji frowned this time. They were worried about him, yes, but they seemed to know what was wrong with him and he didn't. Sanji waited until Chopper was done fixing his head and he thanked the little reindeer gently.

"You should be careful, I don't want you taking off the bandages either. They need to stay on, do you understand?" Chopper said fiercely.

Sanji nodded and turned to Robin. "What's wrong with me?" he asked quietly.

Robin smiled gently, walking to him and resting a hand on his shoulder. "It's nothing serious, I assure you. You may have a slight trauma caused by the fear and pain you felt when you transformed. It not weird and you'll be fine. But, you must face that fear head on when you are ready to. It's perfectly normal to fear your own Devil Fruit and it's powers, Cook-san."

Sanji agreed, it was normal to have a fear of something you didn't understand. But for him, it was a little strange still. He could live with it for now, he supposed.

"I understand, thank you," Sanji told them.

Ussop send him a smile, Chopper hugged him and Luffy grinned. Robin nodded at him before turning and taking her leave. Zoro however, he just ignored everything and kept sitting against the wall with his eye closed. Sanji frowned, but didn't comment as the rest left them alone in the infirmary. It was silent for a good long while, and Sanji had begun to fiddle with the hem of his khaki shirt. Zoro broke the silence, his voice rough, but very quiet.

"I thought you died," he said.

Sanji frowned, looking at the normally stoic man sitting against the wall. Zoro wasn't looking at him, and Sanji hadn't thought he would. This was personal. Deep.

"You were sleeping for so long I thought you were going to die any second. You almost weren't breathing. You were sickly pale, you looked dead, Sanji," Zoro said, voice cracking.

Sanji opened his mouth to tell him he was still alive, but Zoro beat him to it.

"Your fever kept rising and Chopper didn't know what to do about it, he couldn't treat you normally because all of your skin was affected by Sea Prism Stone and he couldn't touch you until Nami, Ussop and me got it out of you. You were just- And I thought..." Zoro voice cracked again and he took a deep breath. "I was scared," he finished, so quiet Sanji almost didn't hear him.

"I'm still alive," Sanji said as he slipped off the bed.

He made his way over to Zoro, and in a rare moment of showing their close friendship, did he hug the Swordsman. Zoro's arms came up and encased his body, Sanji was uncomfortable with his height over the green haired man that moment. A sudden sensation started in him and he gasped, falling into Zoro and shrinking. Zoro yelped in surprise when Sanji was suddenly the size of a young teenager. Sanji had landed in his lap, face pressed into Zoro's chest. His clothes had shrunk with him this time and they had transformed into a simple shirt and loose pair of slacks.

"What the fuck?" Zoro exclaimed, not releasing his hold on Sanji.

Sanji felt like he was fourteen again. A small kid in his foster father's embrace. He giggled, the laughter bubbling out of his chest and escaping his lips before he could catch it.

"Zoro I did it!" Sanji smiled up at the man.

Zoro said nothing, mouth gaping open and staring at Sanji. A slow blush spread over the Swordsman's face and Sanji could see him swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. Sanji frowned up at him and Zoro averted his eye. With a confused mind, Sanji looked down at himself and noted that Zoro view was directly into his shirt. Sanji's cheeks heated and he smacked Zoro's arms.

"You pervert!" he exclaimed.

Zoro yelped and quickly released the raging teen on his lap. Sanji fell over, falling silent and laying still on the hard wooden floor. He stared at the ceiling. He did it, he got small. He doesn't have to think about it hard, just wish for it to happen and it'll happen. Sanji grinned, and imagined himself as a brunette girl, or at least some girl Zoro would like to see. He wondered what it would be. He felt the weird sensation again and he felt his body shift. He felt his hair lengthen and his body become slender. His chest expanded and his legs grew longer, thinner and thicker. Sanji felt his face shift into something smaller, more delicate and he could even feel his eyes change, his lips becoming more plump and his lashes become thicker and longer.

Zoro's face went bright red the moment Sanji was done transforming and he froze instantly. Sanji smiled, getting up and looking down on himself. He was rather, developed. He was wearing a see through night dress, with black lacey lingerie underneath. Sanji's face flushed and he gripped at his longer- wait... His hair was short. Sanji's brow furrowed and he walked over to the mirror, looking at himself. His hair was short, shorter than his own, but it was still blonde. It looked kinda like a unkempt bob style if he said so himself.

Sanji turned to Zoro, who was staring at him wide eyed and with a blush covering his face. Sanji smirked, so Zoro was into girls, slightly. Maybe.

"You mind telling me who I look like?" Sanji asked, hands going to his wide hips.

Zoro cleared his throat, averting his eye. "Y-yourself," he mumbled.

Sanji's eyes widened a fraction. "But this hair style looks nothing like mine? And I'm a woman."

Zoro rumbled and scratched at his nape, making no move to stand whatsoever. "Yeah, it's Kuina's hairstyle, but... You know, also you. And you made yourself a girl, I never said I wanted you to be a girl."

Sanji's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and he turned away from Zoro. The words _I wanted you_ replayed in his head a few times and a heavy blush grew on his face. He couldn't quite believe his ears. Zoro cleared his throat behind him, but Sanji made no move to turn back to the idiot.

"I'm-" Zoro began. "I'm gonna go now," he murmured.

Sanji could only nod as he began transforming back to himself. The door slammed shut and Sanji waited for his Devil Fruit to finish before he sat down on the infirmary bed. This was so weird. Zoro definitely liked him, he knew that already, but now he knew it for sure. Sanji placed his head in his hands and felt like hiding himself.

Shit.

His body shrunk again and kept shrinking until he was no more than the size of a rat. Sanji face-palmed. He was like, what, six inches tall? Sanji sighed and jumped off the bed, luckily landing safely on the ground instead of crashing with his now tiny legs. Sanji shot off, spotting a hole in the wall and wondering if they had mice, probably not. Or maybe they had, you never knew with Luffy on the ship. Sanji made his way through the hole and into the interior of the ship, exploring to his heart's content to think over things.

Sanji didn't find any mice, or rats, but he did find the aquarium room, where Brook was playing piano. Sanji liked this particular song. It was a lullaby from North Blue. His mother used to sing it to him. Sanji walked out into the room and imagined his mother, wanting her voice to sing the song. His body shifted once more and he could feel the exhaustion creeping up on him. He shouldn't use it so much yet, he thought. Then, he began to sing, startling Brook with his now clear, beautiful, female voice.

"_In North Blue there's a woman,_

_She's fair and oh so beautiful,_

_She seems to be inhuman,_

_She was always so dutiful,_"

Brook looked at him with a smile and Sanji smiled back as the rest of the song picked up.

"_She is the Queen of a wondrous land,_

_Standing there on the glittering white sand,_

_She has five children, cherished and loved,_

_They are, by her, so beloved,_"

Sanji heard footsteps and soft murmuring, but he didn't pay attention as he wanted to finish the song before he would pass out. It was a short song, just a lullaby, but he loved it all the same.

"_She lives in North Blue,_

_Where the sun warms your skin,_

_And that's when you knew,_

_That this was her win,_

_Now sleep, dear sons of mine,_

_Outside where the sun will shine," _

Sanji finished the song and he turned, seeing the crew smiling and clapping. Sanji smiled dazedly and he swayed. His vision blacked and the only thing he saw after that was the one to catch him before he fell.

It was Zoro. And Zoro had the most loving, caring expression on his face the Cook had ever seen in his life.

* * *

Hey guys! I see that you all like this fic so here's another chapter. I made up the song myself and it's supposed to represent Sora if you didn't catch it. No wonder Sanji loved it, heh? Anyway. I hope you enjoyed and till the next chapter!

~Rebecca


	3. Chapter 3, Figuring Out The Feelings

**Chapter 3, Figuring Out The Feelings**

Sanji grumbled as he balanced the tray on his small hand, peeking over the counter to spy on Ussop as the Sniper sat on the table, working on his inventions. The small Cook picked the tray with two hands and bounded over to Ussop, pushing it on the table with a smile.

"Here," he said, voice high and child-like.

Ussop smiled at him and Sanji clambered on the table, short brown hair falling in his face. His shirt caught on the rough table and he yelped as he tipped forward. Ussop caught him, steadying him to keep the Cook from falling.

"Should you be using it this much?" Ussop asked in concern.

Sanji pouted, picking a bun off the plate and munching on it. "I have to, I need to learn how to use it and if I don't get the hang of it, it won't be useful in battle."

Ussop nodded and picked up a bread roll, popping it into his mouth while eyeing the new pellet he was working on. Sanji watched him work, glad for the peaceful day. He needed these days to learn his powers and the extent of them.

"Do you think the Marines will know it's me if I look like this?" Sanji asked.

Ussop looked at him, frowning. "I guess not, I don't see any resemblance of you normally. You look like a totally different kid," he said.

Sanji beamed at him and opened his mouth to say another something when the door banged open and Zoro sauntered in, giving the kid on the table one look and walking through to the counter, opening the cupboard and pulling out a bottle of sake to gulp down half of it in one go. Sanji stared at him in awe, confusion written on his face. Zoro had been quite distant from him the last few days, especially after Sanji had sung in front of the crew in the form of his mother.

"Who're you supposed to be now?" Zoro grumbled, sake bottle halfway to his lips again.

Sanji rolled his eyes and climbed off the table ignoring Ussop's strange look. Sanji sauntered up to Zoro, letting his powers go wild with the imagination he knew was running in Zoro's mind on full tilt. His body grew, his hair went blonde and short, his chest grew and he became slender. The beautiful woman he'd been a few days earlier in the infirmary stood before Zoro in nothing but a skimpy bikini and Sanji could do nothing but blink his lashes innocently at the red faced man.

Zoro's face had gone from his normal color to a cherry red in an instant. He backed up from Sanji and tried to look anywhere but at the Cook in front of him. Sanji heard Ussop squeak and the Sniper tumbled off the table with a loud bonk. Sanji ignored him in favor of riling up the Swordsman in front of him. Zoro stood perfectly still, a white knuckled grip around the bottle. Sanji could see his Adam's Apple bob up and down as he swallowed heavily.

"Speechless, huh? I left you completely speechless. Pervert," Sanji teased, voice smooth and feminine.

Zoro swallowed again and looked past him at Ussop, who was still on the floor, but now looking at Sanji in awe.

"Wow, you look pretty," he said.

Sanji turned to him, smiling widely. "Thanks Ussop. At least you appreciate my beauty!" he said with a wink.

Ussop had to hold in his laugh and stood, scurrying out of the kitchen as a murdering aura bloomed up behind Sanji. The blonde turned only to instantly get kissed, deeply. Sanji gasped, an involuntary invitation for Zoro's tongue. And the Swordsman took it. He slipped his tongue inside Sanji's mouth and the Cook couldn't help the blush that was rising to his cheeks.

He didn't know Zoro was such a good kisser. It was hot and quick and messy and all passion and power. It left him breathless and weak in the knees. The kiss ended abruptly and Zoro shoved him back, Sanji's hip connecting with the counter painfully. He grunted and looked up at Zoro. The Marimo was blushing fiercely and looking anywhere but Sanji. The Swordsman placed the bottle of sake down and practically ran out of the kitchen, banging his shoulder against the doorframe in his haste to get out.

Sanji giggled, interested in this new development. A fluttery feeling had begun to settle in his stomach and he felt a little giddy. It was a nice change to see the Swordsman so flustered and bothered. It made Sanji feel happy, though he didn't yet understand why.

"Hey Sanji-kun?" Nami said as she suddenly appeared in the doorway.

Sanji looked up at her, smiling. "Yes, Nami-san?" he asked, fingers fumbling with the cord of his bikini bottom.

"Ah, I see. You could really use a little color you know. Come sunbathe with me and Robin in the boat. We'll catch more light on the water," the red head said with a smile.

Sanji grinned, he'd always wanted to try that. "Alright, is there anything I should take with me?" he asked.

Nami pursed her lips, counting on her hand. "No, not really, I got a towel for you and the sun-block. You could bring some snacks if you like though," she said.

Sanji nodded, smiling. "I'll prepare us each a lunch box then. The others can make their own once they're hungry. Would you like anything specific?" Sanji asked as he turned to the fridge, his clothes morphing to fit for cooking.

Nami didn't answer for a while, staring at the transformation. But when Sanji looked at her expectantly, she grinned. "No, it's fine. You can do anything you like with it. I don't mind and neither will Robin. We'll wait for you at the docking system."

With that, she left and Sanji was alone once again. Now back to his normal form, he started preparing three boxes of bento for himself and the girls. They'd need something to eat once they grew hungry, and he wasn't about to get back on the Sunny while lying comfortably in a boat which was gonna make him tan. With a box for each lady, Sanji packed them up and made his way outside. He spotted Nami clearing their little lifeboat and placing soft cushions and towels in the bottom. Nami looked up at him as he walked over to her and he handed her the bento boxes. She smiled at him in thanks. Robin came walking up to them in her bikini and smiled at Sanji. She handed him a pack of clothes and Sanji frowned.

"I can make my own, remember," he said.

Robin smiled. "I know. In that case, would you be able to make those?" she asked with a glint in her eyes.

Sanji opened the pack of clothes to see a bikini outfit that was actually pretty nice. The top was a normal bikini top, a pretty blue with frilly things on the bottom. The panties were also that pretty deep blue, with a just a few frilly things on it. Sanji eyed them, wondering if they would look good on his female form. Should he make his hair long? Should he keep the short style Zoro liked so much? Wait, why was he thinking off Zoro at such a time. A flush raced over his face and Sanji closed his eyes with a groan.

"Can you do it?" Robin asked.

Sanji nodded. "Yes, I was just thinking something. Never mind that, I'll give it a try," he said.

Robin nodded her head and went to stand next to Nami. Sanji concentrated on the outfit and his feminine figure. He wanted to look pretty, like Nami and Robin. He wanted to be someone the others would say was pretty. He wanted to be what he thought was pretty. He felt the tingling in his body and it shifted to fit his wishes. His hair went blonder and shorter again, he had to admit he kinda liked the style. His chest expanded and he could feel his clothes morph to fit his body and become the small bikini. Sanji opened his eyes then, his transformation done.

Nami's eyes were wide with glee and happiness. Robin had a smile on her face that said everything Sanji needed to know. He looked down on himself, seeing the lovely curves that would have caused him to die of a nosebleed not too long ago. A smile stretched over Sanji's face and he grinned at the two ladies of the crew. The motioned for him to get in the boat, as they did themselves. Sanji went to sit on the edge and clamped onto it for safety.

"Franky, you can drop us now!" Nami called to the cyborg standing by the rudder.

"OW! Super! Here we go!" Franky yelled back.

Sanji grinned as the boat was lowered and gently fell into the waves. They lapped at it and immediately they drifted a bit, the rope between boat and Sunny pulling them back slightly.

"Come sit," Nami said, beckoning Sanji to join them at the bottom of the boat.

Sanji slid off the side and into the boat, joining Nami and Robin on the blanket of cushions and towels.

"Let's rub some sun-block on you, or you'll burn," Nami said as she squeezed some lotion on her hand.

Sanji nodded and turned his back to her, so she could rub it on his back. "This is kinda nice," Sanji said as Nami's hands rubbed on his skin.

"It is, isn't it. I'm actually kinda glad you ate that fruit Sanji-kun," Nami said. "It's sounds mean, but it gives us something to talk about and now we can spend much more time together."

Sanji nodded and weaved a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I was surprised to find out I could do this, but it could be very useful for when we go into town, or get chased. I could just blend into the crowd and disappear," he said.

Nami was silent behind him, humming as she finished rubbing all of his exposed skin so it wouldn't burn. Robin handed Sanji a sandwich and he thanked her with a nod. He bit into it, smiling at the flavor.

"It's quite a peaceful day, wouldn't you agree?" Robin said as she laid back.

Sanji nodded again. "Yeah, it's nice. I can practice with my powers, find out what more I can do," he said.

Nami perked up at that. "Have you tried swimming?" she asked.

Sanji frowned. "No, Nami-san. I haven't, I would drown," he said.

Nami pursed her lips. "But if you can modify your body, you could become something that can swim, right?" she said. "Wouldn't you be able to become a mermaid or something?"

Sanji's eyes widened. "Never tried that before. But I don't want to ruin the lotion yet. Let's just focus on getting that tan you suggested."

Nami's smile was wide and she went to lay down in the boat. Sanji grinned as he looked down on both women, sunbathing peacefully. Sanji didn't really want to lay down and do nothing. He chose to sit back on the edge of the boat, looking out over the water. He admired the sun shining and reflecting on the sea. Waves were gently rocking the boat and Sanji soaked up the rays of sun that touched his fair skin. After a while, he chose to dip his feet in the ocean. He didn't feel any different, or weaker. He guessed that his body wouldn't sink if he took a swim. But he wasn't gonna risk it.

His eyes traveled upwards to the Sunny. To his surprise, he spotted Zoro leaning on the railing, looking right at him. A flush covered the man's face and he quickly looked away. Sanji smiled, fluttering feelings blossoming in his gut. He guessed he liked Zoro. That would be the best explanation. But it was kinda scary at the same time. Sanji's had never truly loved someone before. Sure, he'd pretended to love the ladies, and he did love them, to some extent. Just, not like he would really love someone. And he discovered now that he really, really liked Zoro. That could become something more overtime.

Sanji waved at Zoro, and the Swordsman looked away with a flush that colored his ears red. Sanji shifted, his feet dipping further into the water, and just as suddenly, the sea rose in front of him and Sanji let out an involuntary scream. Zoro's gaze was back on him, he could feel it. But Sanji was more concerned with the sea king that was opening it's maw to bite Sanji in half. The blonde dove into the boat with a yelp, crashing into Nami and Robin. Both women startled up and their eyes opened wide as they saw the sea king.

It was large, and deadly. Pointed teeth and angry eyes. Sanji wondered what he'd done to anger it. It was a half snake half bunny thing that roared right in his face. Sanji screamed again as the thing lunged, pushing the boat forward. Robin's arms were suddenly around Sanji and he was prevented from banging into the side of the boat. The bobbing thing flung away from the Sunny and to Sanji's horror, the rope that held them there snapped. They didn't have any peddles so they couldn't get back there.

"Guys!" Sanji heard Zoro yell and he looked over.

The sea king had targeted the Sunny then, and the waves went high as it slashed its tail. Sanji tripped, banging his head against the edge of the boat. White obscured his vision and he could hear Nami and Robin call to their friends. He heard something about Robin's reach not being enough, and a scream of his name. Then, nothing.

**o-o-o**

Sanji's eyes fluttered open and he groaned. His body felt heavy and sluggish. He groaned again as light poured behind his eyelids and he closed them again.

"Sanji-kun?" Nami's voice floated over to him and he blinked his eyes open again.

Nami was hanging over him, her face near his and a concerned look on it. Sanji suddenly wondered why the sky was so dark and his eyes widened.

"Where are we?" he asked as he sat up, a shiver running up his barely dressed form.

Nami bit her lip. "We drifted off and Sunny wasn't fast enough to catch us. They were battling the sea king and you couldn't help cause you cracked you head against the boat."

Sanji's eyes widened even more and he brought a hand to his still very short hair. It was caked with a bit of dried blood and he winced as he touched the wound. It wasn't that bad, but it still bled a lot and hurt like a bitch. Sanji's eyes searched their surrounding and he found nothing but water. Damn it, he thought. They had to get back to the Sunny as fast as possible. Robin was busy with her powers already, having created a propeller and making slow progress to, somewhere. Sanji bit his plump lip, a growl slipping past.

"Do you know where to go?" he asked Nami.

The Navigator shook her head. "No, but if we keep going towards the setting sun, we should reach the island that the Log Pose was pointing at. I hope we make it there," she said.

Sanji agreed. It was hard out on the Grand Line, especially in the New World. Nobody knew what to expect and you had to be ready for everything. Sanji face-palmed, they hadn't been ready. He looked up at the sky, wondering if the others were alright.

"Do you think we'll get there before nightfall?" Sanji asked, looking at the dark sky in concern.

Nami shook her head. "I don't think so, we have to be careful. We have some food, at least."

She held up the box with bento Sanji had made. He smiled, glad they still had that. Nami handed him a rice ball and Sanji's mind went to Zoro as bit into it. He really wanted to know if the Swordsman was safe.

"Hey, Sanji-kun," Nami said suddenly. "Wanna try being a mermaid?" she asked, holding up a rope with a smile.

Sanji frowned, then realized what she was saying. "You want me to pull the boat?" he asked.

Nami nodded and just that moment, Robin collapsed in the boat, all her energy worn out.

Sanji quickly took the rope and tied it around his waist. "If I sink, pull me up," he said to Nami.

The red head nodded and Sanji stood, going to sit on the edge and imagine the mermaids he'd missed. A long slender tail, beautifully colored and strong. Long hair that floated in the water and a beautiful body. Sanji groaned as the tingling was worse than before. It slightly hurt, but it was all worth it once the feelings were over and Sanji dropped himself in the water. He didn't sink, to his relief, and he didn't choke on water. That was a plus that he really wanted.

Sanji opened his closed eyes and looked around in the water. Everything was very clear and he felt like he could see for miles. He saw the shadow of a large fish, smaller ones darting back and forth between him and the boat. A bubbling mass of volcanic ashes came up from below them and Sanji could see the fish feed off of it. He grinned, wondering if he could swim in All Blue like this. It would be a dream come true. Sanji swam up and peeked his head over the waves, smiling at the red head that was looking into the water in concern.

"Is it alright?" Nami asked.

Sanji nodded his head. "Yeah, tie the rope to the boat and I'll pull us the rest of the way. You can rest up," he said.

Nami nodded and tied to rope to the ring on the underside of the edge. Then she nodded at the now mermaid Cook and Sanji dove under again. He went to swim, but it was heavy. When the boat finally moved, it got easier and they were quickly making progress through the dark of the evening. Sanji wanted to get to land quickly, he wanted to go back to the Sunny. He wanted to go back to Zoro.

Sanji gripped above his heart as it pounded in his chest. A bubble of frustration escaped his lips and he frowned. His heart ached, and he knew what that meant. Even though the stupid Swordsman hadn't done anything for him or had giving him any attention in the last week, Sanji couldn't help but feel love.

He had fallen fast, and he had fallen hard. Impossibly hard.


	4. Chapter 4, No Men Allowed

**Chapter 4, No Men Allowed**

Sanji was tired, impossibly so. He'd been swimming for at least a few hours and his tail hurt. He stopped swimming, waiting until the boat stopped and bobbed up and down on the waves. He swam up, grabbing onto the edge of the boat and pulling up. He transformed, back to his female form, and collapsed in the boat, wet and cold. A blanket was draped over him and Sanji looked up to see Robin smiling at him.

"You did well, Cook-san. Thank you," she said.

Sanji smiled, totally exhausted and worn out. "I think I might need some food," he said.

Robin nodded, stood and tiptoed around a sleeping Nami to grab one of the bento boxes. She handed him a stick with dumplings and Sanji happily munched on it. It slowly filled his empty stomach and rejuvenated his energy. He sighed, totally spent. Sanji wanted to sleep for a while, so he closed his eyes. He didn't know how long he'd been sleeping or how fast he even fell asleep, but he woke up to silence and stillness. There was no movement, no sounds of the sea, no breathing beside him and no shuffling in the boat. He heard a bird caw, and the rustling of trees.

Sanji sat up, worried. He didn't hear Nami or Robin anywhere and he couldn't sense them with his Haki. Was he that exhausted still? He did feel a little sluggish. The Cook stood, the blanket falling off his slender form to pool beneath his feet. Sanji was glad he was still in this form, otherwise he wouldn't be wearing anything. But the bikini couldn't really be counted as anything, it was more underwear than anything else. Sanji looked around to see if he could spot Robin and or Nami. He could see footprints leading into the forest. He noticed he was on a beach, a glittering white beach with the waves lapping softly at it. Sanji stepped out of the boat, the sand warm under his feet. It was kind of a nice feeling.

"Robin-chan? Nami-san?" Sanji called, pulling the blanket out of the boat and wrapping it around his chilled body.

There was no answer other than the rustling of the leaves and the quiet lapping and breaking off the waves. Sanji frowned, where could those ladies have gone to? Suddenly, he heard rushed footsteps and out of the forest came Nami and Robin, each holding a basket of what seemed to be fruit, and Nami was screaming, enraged, at a small Transponder Snail in her hand. Sanji cocked his head to the side, interested in what was happening, but not daring to say anything yet.

"Ah, Cook-san? You are awake, would you care for some fruit?" Robin asked as she walked up to him, Nami having stopped to shriek at the Snail.

Sanji nodded mutely and received a juicy looking fruit that sprayed sap as he bit into it. "What's going on?" he said after swallowing the bite.

Robin looked over her shoulder at Nami. "Navigator-san is trying to get the Sunny here, but it seems that the crew is not as adapt as we thought," she said.

Sanji deadpanned. "Hadn't thought they were, really."

Robin smiled at him, handing him another fruit for later. She placed the basket in the boat and turned to Nami, walking over to her and taking the basket to place it in the boat. Nami followed this time, and Sanji could now hear what she was so angry about.

"You can't just look at the Log Pose once and then sail in that direction idiot!" she shrieked. "You have to look at it all the time, who knows when you'll get here to rescue us!" she said as she threw her hands in the air. "Just follow it and get here you numbskulls!" she finished and hung up.

"Ah, Sanji-kun. You're awake," she said as she noticed him.

Sanji smiled. "Yes, sorry to startle you. Where are we?" he asked.

Nami bit her lip as she answered, "The island we were supposed to land on. Robin hasn't found any villages yet so we stuck to gathering some food. She thought you'd need it after we ate all the leftover bento. Sorry 'bout that, by the way."

Sanji waved a hand in front of his face. "No, don't worry about it, you ladies should eat as well."

The Navigator send him a smile and tucked the Transponder Snail away, walking over to the boat to sit on the edge. "It's really a shame. We don't know where the others are and were stuck here with no shelter. Sanji-kun, could you perhaps look for a village with your Sky-Walk?" she asked, flipping her red hair over her shoulders.

Sanji nodded silently. "I should get some more comfortable clothes on first," he said.

Nami agreed and then she said, "Can't you make clothes for us? Like, imagine yourself wearing our clothes and then take them off, giving them to us?" She had that innocent look in her eyes but Sanji wasn't gonna fall for it this time.

"Sorry, I don't think I can do that. Besides, it's warm enough on the beach, up there it'll be colder," he said.

Nami pouted, but nodded her head. She took Sanji's blanket and he concentrated on having a more comfortable outfit to fit with his appearance. It morphed quickly and soon he was standing in a tight pair of pants and a loose shirt. Nami smiled at him and Sanji grinned back, then took to the skies. It was indeed colder, but with the clothes Sanji didn't mind. The island seemed to be medium size and it also looked to be a Summer Island. Sanji hadn't remembered the name of it so he didn't bother. He could see a few smoke clouds coming from further inlands, and he guessed that must be a village. Sanji went down again and landed in front of the red head, who was looking at him in curiosity.

"Well?" she asked.

Sanji dusted off his pants, though there was no dust to be brushed off. "There's a village up ahead. If we take all that we can carry, we'll be there before nightfall," he said.

Nami nodded and Robin sprouted a few arms to help carry the blankets and towels. Cushions were taken as well, and Nami carried the three lunch boxes. They began their track through the dense forest and Sanji pointed out a few fruits they could take with them. With Robin's help, and the baskets, they gathered some more food and munched on those while walking. It took them a while, and there were ups and down coming with it; Nami stumbling into a spider nest, Sanji twisting his ankle when he fell over a root, Robin on the bad end of a swinging branch and the basket of food falling and scattering everything everywhere. But finally, they came to a clearing, all exhausted from the track. Robin had a gash on her cheek from the branch, Nami was shivering all over and Sanji was limping.

Sanji's eyes widened when he saw the village. It was rather advanced and people were trading goods and walking along the streets, laughing and talking. He could only see women, which he thought was kinda weird, but also cool. Only, it could spell trouble for them later on. A sudden shout was heard and all the eyes of the villagers were locked on them. A few women in armor came running up to them and pointed spears at their chests.

"Who are you?" one of the woman asked. "And how did you get here?"

Sanji let go of the cushions he'd been holding and held up his hands. "We don't want any trouble, were just looking for some shelter for the night," he said.

"Are there any men with you?" the same woman asked.

Sanji shot a look at Nami and Robin, who both sweat-dropped, before shaking his head at the guards.

The spears were lowered and the woman walked up to him. "Then we welcome you onto our island and into our village. My name is Narcisse. I am the Chief of Guards, who might you be?" she asked.

Sanji looked at her green eyes beneath the helmet on her head. She seemed friendly enough. Her hair was long and black, laying in curling waves on her back. She seemed strong, judging by the muscles on her arms and naked legs. The rest of her was clad in golden armor, the spear a deadly weapon with it.

"I'm Sanji, and this is Nami-san and Robin-chan. Nice to meet you," he said, thankful that he was in female form and that his voice was more feminine.

Narcisse grinned. "Well than Sanji-chan, you are quite welcome. We shall provide you shelter for the night. Do you have a ship to get back on your way?" she asked.

Sanji shook his head. "Our life boat got separated from our ship, we've been drifting since yesterday midday. They will probably come to pick us up as soon as they actually learn to follow the Log Pose."

Narcisse hummed and wrapped an arm around Sanji's shoulder, dragging him with her. "Well, as for now, please join us for dinner, we'll see to your belongings and shelter."

With a flick of her wrist, the other guards gathered their belongings and took off into the crowd. Sanji cocked his head, but didn't say anything.

"Can I ask you something, Narcisse-san?" Nami said as she came to walk next to them.

"Of course, Nami-chan. What might your question be?" Narcisse asked.

Nami motioned for Robin to follow and the older woman caught up with them quickly. "Why are there no men in the village? I can only see women so far? Is there a reason?" she asked.

Narcisse nodded her head and motioned for the them to look around. Nami spotted a young boy walking with his mother, but that was the only male person she could see.

"We have males on the island, just not adults. We don't like them so we send our sons out to see once their old enough. They never go alone, we are not heartless. We just want safety from the kinds of men. We don't need them to life a live so we don't want them here either. If men come ashore here, they are allowed to gather food and supplies on the edge of the forest. If they venture into the village, we capture them and kill them."

Sanji's eyes went wide and he swallowed, throat suddenly dry. Narcisse looked at him with a furrowed brow.

"Something wrong, Sanji-chan?" she asked.

"No, no. Well, yes. I'm kind of parched, actually," Sanji said, quickly covering up the fact that he was absolutely terrified.

"Ah," said Narcisse. "We can provide you with something to drink when we reach the palace. Please endure it until then, it won't be long." She motioned for the massive building that doomed up before them, in all its natural glory.

Sanji gaped at it, overwhelmed by it greatness and looming figure. He wondered how he hadn't spotted it from the air. It was so big that it reached over the trees and impossibly white. It really did look like a castle, kind of like a World Nobles castle. Sanji felt a tingling in his body that let him know he'd been using his powers for far too long. He'd have to recharge as fast as possible so he could stay in this form. He hoped they had a lot of food and that he could sleep in a real bed.

"Are you alright?" Narcisse said with worry lacing her tone.

Sanji looked up at her and smiled, though it felt a little weak. Nami came to his rescue right on cue.

"We have been adrift for long, and Sanji-chan here has been pulling our boat with her Devil Fruit power," she said.

Narcisse looked suspicious at that and stopped walking to turn to Sanji. "What is your Devil Fruit power, then?" she asked, as if she wanted him to admit he didn't have one.

"I can turn into a mermaid," Sanji replied easily.

Narcisse looked surprised. "That's quite the handy Fruit you possess, Sanji-chan." But then she frowned. "But you don't sink? Do you?" she asked.

Sanji shook his head. "I do not, I guess this is a once in a lifetime Devil Fruit ability," he said. "It's quite fortunate I managed to get us here, I began getting tired quickly."

Narcisse nodded her head. "Yes, I can imagine. You must have a Paramecia type, which means you have te replenish your energy soon."

Sanji agreed with a nod and Narcisse resumed her track to the castle. It wasn't long until they reached it and Sanji had begun to get tired quickly. Luckily, Narcisse noted it and directed the three of them to a room. To Sanji's pleasure, it had three beds, so they would be together. Narcisse left them there, and told them that food would come soon, as well as a new set of clothes. Then she left.

Sanji heaved in a sigh and grasped one of the blankets, transforming back quickly. He felt to the floor, blanket shielding his naked form from the two ladies. Nami draped another blanket over his shoulders and Sanji thanked her quietly.

"You have to hide in the bathroom for now Sanji-kun. Well take the food so you can stay like this," Nami said.

Sanji nodded wordlessly and Robin helped him to stand. He struggled to his feet, legs like jelly and lightheaded.

"I really need to work on this," he muttered.

Robin agreed with him. "You have been transformed since yesterday, Cook-san. It must take a lot of your energy," she said.

Sanji didn't say anything and Robin helped him to the bathroom gently. She set him down on the floor and the Cook leaned his head against the bathtub. The bathroom was spacy and nice, just like Sanji liked it. The Cook heard the door open and tensed, hoping that the women wouldn't come into the bathroom.

"Thanks, we'll take it," Nami's voice floated to him.

"Your friend, is she alright?" came the voice of another woman.

"Yes, yes. Just a little tired," Nami said.

"All is well then. We shall send for you at dinner time. Do enjoy your stay."

With that, the door closed with a bang and he could hear two sighs of relief. Nami came in later with a handful of food. Sanji gratefully accepted it from her and started eating. It filled up his stomach a little, which was great, but he was going to need sleep, a lot of it. Sanji picked a sandwich from between the pile of food and munched on it. He stood, legs a little less jelly, and made his way to the nearest bed to collapse in it.

"Are you going to sleep, Sanji-kun?" Nami asked.

Sanji hummed, too exhausted to reply. It was only a matter of time before he fell asleep.

**o-o-o**

Zoro drummed his fingers on the railing, his other hand gripping the hilt of Wado Ichimonji in a white knuckled grip. He scowled, scanning the ocean for the island the others were stranded at. Behind him, Ussop was pacing on the deck, the grass already broken under his feet. He'd been pacing like that for over an hour and Zoro was beginning to grow irked. He hated having to wait, he wanted to get the others back right now. Sanji had to be alright, right? He'd hit his head and passed out, but Zoro hadn't seen if he was okay after that.

Ussop sighed, stopping his pacing and coming to stand next to Zoro. "You alright?" the Sniper asked.

Zoro released the breath he was holding harshly. "No, I'm not. We should have been there hours ago. I don't like to say it but I wish Nami would have taught us how to use that stuff."

Ussop cracked a smile and leaned on the railing. "I know what you mean, Luffy's a complete idiot. The only ones that can get us there now are me, Chopper and Franky. Brook, Luffy and yourself are useless, no offense."

Zoro shook his head. He sighed and let go of Wado slowly. Ussop stayed silent as he walked away. Zoro needed time, he needed to figure stuff out. There was this hollow feeling in his chest that would only be full when Sanji got back. He hoped that wouldn't be long now, it was extremely painful to be fair. Zoro trudged up the stairs to the galley, hand gripping the fabric over his chest. It hurt, and he didn't know what it meant, he didn't know how to get rid of it. He didn't know if he _wanted_ to get rid of it. He had to know what it meant. He needed to know now.

Zoro had a slight idea what had caused it, well, a good idea. Sanji obviously. Every time he laid his eye on the blonde cook, he felt something weird inside, right were his heart was. It swelled and deflated and expanded and... Well, it hurt. He felt lightheaded every time Sanji transformed into that beautiful lady that resembled himself and Kuina. It hurt to look at him then, it hurt to look at him all the time. His head didn't know what to do with it, didn't know if he should pursue it or leave it alone. But his body and heart betrayed his control and fucked with him every time. Flushed and bothered when Sanji would leave, angry and confused when he was there. It was just so weird, and Zoro needed answers.

Zoro barged into the kitchen, and immediately raced to the fridge to stop that gluttonous Captain from eating everything. He bonked Luffy on the head, hard. The Captain smacked into the floor and Zoro kicked the fridge closed, locked it and glared down at Luffy.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, a growl leaving his lips.

Luffy whined. "But I wanted something to eat! Come on Zoro, Sanji won't mind!" he said, standing and jutting his bottom lip out.

Zoro crossed his arms and glared. "No," he said.

Luffy deflated and slinked off to sit at the table. When he sat, he looked over at Zoro with a knowing look, suddenly serious and seemingly a lot older than he really was. He beckoned Zoro to come sit with him and Zoro hesitantly did.

"Zoro's worried about Sanji, right?" the Captain asked.

Zoro nodded slowly, placing his swords on the side to sit more comfortably. "Yeah," he agreed.

Luffy leaned back in his chair, a smirk on his face. "Zoro likes Sanji," he stated.

Zoro's eye widened and he felt his face flush. He sputtered out a few words, but gave up on seeing the smile of his Captain.

"I guess, is that what's I'm feeling?" he asked.

Luffy stayed silent for a while, then frowned. "What is Zoro feeling?" he asked.

Zoro sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm- My chest hurts and there's this hollow feeling that I can't explain. And it's only filled when the shitty Cook is around," he mumbled. "I don't know what it means and I kinda want it gone, and at the same time I don't want it to go."

Luffy nodded slowly.

"What should I do?" Zoro whispered, feeling helplessly small suddenly.

It was silent. The only thing Zoro could hear was the pounding off his own heart and the blood rushing through his ears. He looked up at Luffy and the Captain was looking at him with a soft smile.

"Zoro should tell Sanji that Zoro loves him. That'll make everything great again."

Zoro groaned and banged his head on the table. "How can I do that when I don't even understand these feelings myself."

Luffy frowned. "But Zoro doesn't have to understand it. Zoro should do what Zoro feels is right. Sanji feels the same, though. Doesn't Zoro notice how Sanji act's around Zoro?" Luffy asked.

Zoro copied Luffy's frown, thinking hard about what Luffy meant.

_"Speechless, huh? I left you completely speechless. Pervert," Sanji teased, voice smooth and feminine. _**(Chapter 3)**

_"I can't!" Sanji said back in a hurry. "I'm too weak like this, I need you!" he admitted. _**(Chapter 1)**

_"Stay," he said in a croaky voice. "Please." _**(Chapter 1)**

_ "I'm still alive," Sanji said as he slipped off the bed. _**(Chapter 2)**

_"You mind telling me who I look like?" Sanji asked, hands going to his wide hips. _**(Chapter 2)**

Zoro's eye widened. Sanji had been acting weird, but it did make a little more sense now. It made a whole lot of sense now. A sudden lurch of the ship pulled Zoro out of his thoughts and he quickly grabbed his swords to keep them from falling. Luffy had shot up then, and was running to the door. He swung it open and ran out, with Zoro on his heels. Zoro stopped short when he came outside, gripping the railing for support.

"What's going on?" he shouted.

Franky was at the helm, trying to steer the Sunny, but sadly the rudder wouldn't budge. "Were stuck in a strange current, but this is the way we have to go! This is so not SUPER!" Franky shouted back.

Zoro could barely hear him over the rushing of the water and the creaking of Sunny's wood. The ship lurched again and Zoro stumbled. He quickly made his way to the prow to help Franky with the rudder.

"Get a Coup De Burst ready, we're gonna need it!" Zoro said.

Franky nodded and released the rudder, Zoro quickly took it from him. With a wave, the older man disappeared and Zoro cast a quick glance at the rest of the crew. Ussop was pulling on the ropes off the sail, together with Chopper, his feet planted in the ground and breaking the grass apart. Chopper seemed a little more capable and he began helping the Sniper. Zoro lurched as the rudder went the wrong way and he tipped, smacking on his side, but managing to keep the rudder in his hands. He quickly scrambled up and grumbled.

"Do you need some assistance, Zoro-san?" Brook said as he ran up the prow.

"Keep an eye on the Log Pose for me, where are we going?" Zoro gritted out.

Brook nodded and walked to the compass, peering at it with his hollow eyes. "We're going in the right direction for now, but I suggest you steer around that maelstrom, Zoro-san."

Zoro cursed and threw the rudder the other way quickly, the Sunny swirled and evaded the rush of water just in time. Zoro kept up the battle with Brook as his guide and they made good progress for a while. When they were facing the right direction, Zoro called to Franky with the Transponder Snail he had with him.

"Everything is SUPER ready, Zoro-Bro!" Franky said.

Zoro gritted his teeth and clamped onto the rudder with both hands. "Everyone hold on!" he yelled.

When he got a few 'Rogers', Zoro called the okay to Franky and the blast went off. They flew through the air and Zoro had to grab onto Brook to keep him from flying off the ship. Within the kilometer, they landed again and Zoro smacked into the deck, his swords clattering at his side. Wado was unsettled, Kitetsu furious, Shusui kept his rage inside, barely. Zoro brushed over them apologetically and clambered to his feet with a huff. The swords settled down and the Swordsman helped up their resident Skeleton.

"You alright?" Zoro asked.

Brook nodded silently and trudged down the stairs to help Ussop with a foaming Ussop. Zoro went after him and ran a hand through his hair, it was all a little too much right now. He wanted to get to Sanji already. He didn't even know if they were okay. He really needed a nap as well, he was exhausted. Damn, what a rough few days it had been.

"You guys alright?" Zoro asked as he came up to them.

They all nodded and Zoro opened his mouth to speak again when he was cut off by a shout from above which made his heart soar. It fluttered in his chest and he felt that it hurt a little less than before. If that was a good thing, or a bad thing, he didn't know. Not yet at least. The shout was repeated again and Zoro grew a smirk the size of a plate, all teeth and happiness. The rest of the crew couldn't seem to help their own smiles as well as Luffy yelled;

"I SEE LAND!"

* * *

Here you go, I hope you are all enjoying it. And I'm getting lots of review which makes me super happy. Thank you all for your support. I love you guys!

~Rebecca


	5. Chapter 5, Confrontation

Hey guys! So sorry for the long wait. I was really busy with school. I see you all still enjoy this story and I'm so glad to see that. Here's the new chapter. It has Zosan smut at the end, just to warn you. Anyway, have fun!

Rebecca

* * *

**Chapter 5, Confrontation**

"We have to figure out how to keep you hidden best, Sanji-kun," Nami said, pacing in front of the bed with her arms crossed.

Sanji nodded and pulled the blanket around him a little bit tighter. "But we did good yesterday, didn't we?" he asked.

Nami nodded slowly, pursing her lips. "Yeah, we did, but you were rather exhausted don't you think?" she said.

Sanji sighed, yes he had been very exhausted. He'd slept through breakfast as well, because of that. He was a little more adapt now, a little less exhausted. But it was still tiring to keep in this form. Sanji felt a little stupid now, he was acting like a girl. But he really wasn't one. Sanji sighed once more and looked up at Nami.

"We're gonna do the same as yesterday, and I'm just going to take naps and eat a lot," he said.

Nami's eyes widened and she opened her mouth when Robin cut her off. Nami send her a death glare.

"It may be wise to do just that. We can't do anything else right now except wait for the boys. Let us change and join the soldiers for lunch, shall we," she said in her airy voice.

Nami sighed in her defeat and turned to rummage in the bag of clothes they received. She pulled out a few cloths and threw a set at Sanji. It hit him in the face and he sputtered as he pulled it off. The cloth set was a deep blue with golden accents. Sanji unfolded it and was met with a beautiful sleek dress. It had two thin shoulder straps, lined with gold. The dress was cut low on the back and exposed the left leg. It was rather beautiful to look at, and Sanji thought it would look even better when he put it on.

He then noticed that Nami and Robin had the exact same dresses, only Nami's was in orange, and Robin's was a deep purple. Nami smiled at him and Sanji grinned back. Both Nami and Robin walked to the bathroom and left Sanji to change. Sanji groaned, but then changed into his female form, short hair sticking up in weird angles. He was glad his bikini transformed into underwear, a strapless bra and blue panties. He struggled into the dress, smoothing it out once he had it on. He walked to the mirror, the dress hugging his figure. He took a look at himself and smiled. It looked pretty on him, all sparkly and sexy. It hugged his body tight and showed off every curve he had in this form.

The door behind him opened and Sanji turned to watch as Nami and Robin came out in their gorgeous dresses. They looked absolutely stunning. Nami lit up when she saw him and she beamed at him.

"You looked absolutely gorgeous Sanji-kun," she said.

Sanji smiled and felt a blush creep up his face. He sheepishly rubbed at his neck and glanced over himself again. He did look nice, didn't he? Sanji brushed some strands of his hair into order and twirled on the spot to judge the movement of the dress. It had great mobility and it was kinda stretchy, not uncomfortable if he said so himself.

"You look very nice indeed," Robin commented after the twirl.

"Thanks," Sanji said.

Then Sanji noted something that concerned him, but interested him all the same. His hands were shaking. They were trembling under an unseen force, badly. He felt a little twitchy and frowned, tapping at his lip with his fingers. Then his eyes widened as he realized something. He hadn't smoked a cigarette for a few days! Sanji turned, wide eyed, to Nami and Robin. They frowned when they saw his expression.

"What is it?" Nami asked slowly.

"I know why I'm so weak," he said, a smile forming on his face.

"Which is?" Nami asked in concern.

"I haven't had a smoke in almost three days, that's why I'm so twitchy! I'm having withdrawals!" he explained hastily, finally actually craving a cig.

Nami's eyes widened and Robin was nodding slowly. "That makes sense," the older woman said.

Sanji grinned and twirled in the dress again, letting out a relieved sigh. He was so glad he found the cause of his weakness. He still had to eat and sleep, but if he had a cigarette he could probably stay awake and be more helpful than he was now. Sanji could only smile really, he was so relieved his knees went a little weak. He sat down on the bed and fiddled with his fingers, craving the calming nicotine.

"I can get you a pack, if you want," Robin said.

"That'd be great, Robin-chan," Sanji said, smiling at her while he wiped some stray hair from his face.

Robin nodded and disappeared through the door. Nami came to stand in front of the mirror and Sanji watched as she pulled her hair into a ponytail, complementing her outfit. Sanji watched her, interested in how a woman's body really worked. He watched her gracious movements and how she turned her head to look at her hair from all angles. How she jutted her hips to the side and let the dress swing. How she walked on heels and moved her body in such a female way. His eyes followed her and he wondered if he could be able to move like that as well. If he could, there was no doubt that he could fool the people on this island into thinking he was a girl.

Sanji took to watching Nami a little more and when Nami noticed, she helped teach him how to walk on heels and use his appearance to his advantage. Robin came in not much later and joined in with a few handy tips, as well as handing Sanji a pack of cigarettes. He lit up immediately and inhaled the calming nicotine. His tense limbs relaxed and Sanji slumped over the bed, sighing contently.

"Thanks," he said to Robin, who smiled in response.

"When are we expected to be in the dining hall?" Nami asked, combing her fingers through her ponytail.

Robin hummed and looked at the clock on the wall. "In a few minutes, Navigator-san. I suggest we leave now to be there on time. Oh, Cook-san, you don't mind leaving the cigarettes here for a while?" she answered, adding her question as she turned to Sanji.

Sanji shook his head and finished the cigarette, then went to the bathroom to brush his teeth to get rid of the smell. When he came out, Nami and Robin stood waiting for him at the door. They all left quickly, being slightly late. Sanji watched in awe as they walked through the palace, he hadn't been clear enough yesterday to see everything so well, now he was, and it was amazing to look at everything inside the wonderful castle. It was so stylish and chic and beautiful Sanji wondered how rich these people were.

Sanji and the girls made their way to the dining hall and joined the soldiers at the table, sitting close to the leader. Her name was Nadine, and she was a wonderful woman to look at, truly. She was tall, and had a curvy body that Sanji felt a little jealous of, but when he realized he could look like that as well, he didn't mind anymore. Nadine was the Queen on the island and ruled with compassion and kindness, but she could be a fearless leader as well, when there was an enemy attack or a conflict between citizens.

"Tell me Sanji-chan," Nadine began at lunch. "Why is it that your name means third son?" she asked.

Sanji swallowed, he saw Nami and Robin sweat-drop, but he was prepared. "Well, Queen Nadine, as you say it means third son. I was born to a father who preferred sons over daughters and he named me so that people would think I was a boy, I have an older sister, two older brothers and a younger one. We're all named according to when we were born, he didn't care that I was a girl, nor with my sister."

Nadine nodded her head. "Your father sounded like a powerful man," she said.

Sanji nodded, glancing at Nami and Robin to see sympathy in their eyes. It hadn't been that long since he had been back after all. "Sadly, my father isn't a kind man, a ruler, yes, but not a kind man," Sanji concluded.

"You are royalty?" Nadine said after swallowing her bite of food, flipping a lock of blonde hair over her shoulder and gazing at him with her brown eyes.

Sanji nodded. "Yes, theoretically speaking I am, but not anymore. I ran away when I was younger and was brought back a few months ago, much to my displeasure." Sanji wondered why he was telling this all to Nadine, but he guessed he felt comfortable around her. "My friends came to rescue me, I was being forced to marry someone that I did not even known, and it was a secret plot to kill me and my family."

Nadine bobbed her head up and down in a nod and her brows furrowed together. "Such unfortunate events. It must have been hard on you, Sanji-chan," she said.

"It was. I could have been killed, but luckily I was rescued and brought to my senses."

Nadine smiled brightly. "Your friends must be wonderful people then, am I right?" she said.

Sanji smiled back. "Indeed they are, your majesty, great friends. I couldn't have asked for better ones if I tried."

Nadine nodded her head and finished her food, reaching for her glass when she was interrupted by a shout.

"QUEEN NADINE, THERE ARE INTRUDERS ON THE ISLAND. THEY'RE ALL MAN AND FLY A PIRATE FLAG WITH A STRAW HAT ON IT, WE'VE CAPTURED THEM ALREADY, WHAT ARE YOUR ORDERS?" a young woman shouted as she ran in.

Sanji dropped his fork with a clatter and swallowed. Nadine looked at him and Sanji realized his face was pale. Nami and Robin where looking at the Queen with horrified expressions.

"Is something the matter?" she asked carefully.

"No, nothing at all," Nami quickly said.

"Well then, I'll be going to see who has stepped onto our island. Would you care to join me?" Nadine asked.

"We would," said Robin gently.

Sanji grew a little paler and wondered how they had captured the crew so fast when they had just gotten here. It was quite strange to say the least. The crew was strong, so how had they been able to get captured. Sanji frowned. This better be good or he would totally flip out from anger or embarrassment. He stood, following Queen Nadine, Robin and Nami as they walked away. They left the palace and crossed the grounds towards an open field. Sanji's eyes widened when they came upon a row of cages. He stopped at the edge and Nami and Robin followed his example. Queen Nadine walked along and stopped in front of one of the cages. Her face twisted in disgust and her lips drew into a thin line.

"Why have you come here?" she asked rudely.

Sanji strained to hear, but gasped when he heard Luffy's voice. "We came to look for our Nakama!" he exclaimed, hands on the bars, then growing weak as it was sea-stone.

"Well, they're not here," Nadine said. "And you trespassed, so you're going to die," she said.

"Listen woman. We only came to look for our Nakama. Then we'll be out of your hair, we don't want to be here," Zoro said, snarling.

Sanji shivered, he had to think of something or his friends would die. But he couldn't do it now, it would blow their already fragile cover. He bit his lip and wracked his brain. There had to be something they could do to save their friends.

"I know that, but you invaded our land and you shall be punished for it. Shackle them!" Nadine called out, ordering her guards to shackle the crewmembers.

Sanji groaned, hanging his head. Beside him, Nami and Robin seemed deep in thought as well. Sanji was so absorbed in his thoughts he only noticed that they had been walking again when they reached ten platforms. Sanji gulped, what was going to happen? He looked at it for a while and noticed that beneath those platforms, where holes with spikes in them. Sanji gasped, if he was right, the crew would be pushed in them and they would die a horrible death.

"Robin," Sanji whispered.

The older woman came to stand next to him, out of sight of everyone that could possibly see them. "What is it?" she asked, a worried tone to her voice.

"I want you to save them, but I'll get Zoro," Sanji said.

Robin smiled knowingly and nodded her head. She held up her hands, ready for her moment to shine.

"What should I do?" Nami asked as she came to stand by them in the shadows.

Sanji watched as the crew was led to them and pushed on the platforms with a lot of resistance and curses. He bit his lip and looked at Nami. He didn't really know what she could do, just stay where she was now. That would be best, the two of them didn't have to be seen right now. Sanji's only concern was saving Zoro at the moment, so he couldn't care less.

"You just stay here," he told her.

Nami nodded and laid her hand on his shoulder in comfort. He smiled at her, his plump lips pulling up to show off white teeth. She smiled back, a reassuring smile that told him everything would be fine.

"Go gather the rest of the village," Nadine's voice boomed, and the Queen moved up to one of the platforms. "You shall be put to death in a few minutes. Do you have any last words?" she asked Luffy, standing next to him.

Luffy cocked his head from side to side and frowned. "Do you have any meat?" he finally asked.

Sanji's lips pulled into a smile and the rest of the crew groaned in frustration.

"Those are not your last words," Ussop groaned.

"I gotta agree with Ussop-bro, Luffy-bro. You should say something like, 'I had a great life!'" Franky exclaimed.

"Yo-ho-ho! I must say I am inclined to agree with you, Franky-san," Brook laughed. "I don't think I'll be dying though, I'm only bones after all."

Nadine pulled a face and Sanji heard Nami stifle her laugh. Robin smiled behind him and Sanji placed his hands on his hips, grinning. They were an odd bunch indeed.

"Let us begin the ceremony," Nadine announced suddenly.

Sanji noted that more people had arrived and he bit his lip again, wracking his brain as to what he should do when the time was right. He settled on one strategy he though could work and nodded to himself. He bend down and ripped the lower part off his dress, letting it flutter to the floor. Nami eyed him with a pout, probably thinking it was a waste of a good dress. Sanji didn't care at that moment. He just wanted to save the one he so dearly loved. Damn it, yes he did love Zoro. It was still weird. He didn't really know how to feel about it yet. Sanji, the ladies man, had fallen in love with another man. It was kinda funny actually. He shook his head, he had no time for this.

"You, Straw Hat Pirates, are hereby sentenced to death for trespassing into our village. You will die on the spikes, like so many before you who were foolish enough to think they could do whatever they liked on our island," Nadine declared.

The crowd hollered their agreement in cheers and Nadine signaled the executioners to proceed. All six of them pulled a lever and the hatch beneath their crewmates feet disappeared in a flash. Sanji signaled to Robin and she created a net below the platform. Sanji himself shot from his place using his Sky-Walk. He barreled into Zoro and they both flew off the platform, rolling onto the floor and into the under bush of the jungle. Sanji could hear a few gasps and cries of surprise. But he didn't care, he had Zoro and that was the only thing that mattered.

He sat up, looking at the man under him. Zoro was staring at him, wide eyed. He looked kinda funny like that. Sanji grinned at him, though it was a sad grin.

"I thought you were dead," Zoro whispered.

Sanji couldn't help the tears that invaded his eyes. "I'm not," he whispered back.

Zoro let out a laugh, relieved. "I was so worried, I didn't know what to do and I didn't know if you were alive and then Luffy was like, Zoro you should tell Sanji how you-"

Sanji cut Zoro's rambling off when he smashed their lips together in a bit too heated of a kiss. Sanji felt sparks fly and he moaned, his mouth opening up to let Zoro's tongue inside. The man beneath him surged upwards, kissing him with fiery passion Sanji hadn't known he was hiding. This was an even better kiss than the one they had shared in the galley and Sanji felt heat surge through his body. He splayed his hands out over Zoro's jacket and let his cold fingers slide over the man's heated skin. Zoro groaned, bucking up his hips to let Sanji know how affected he was by that simple touch. Sanji felt the shiver run through him and he smirked. Then he realized where they were and he ripped himself out of his fantasy and broke the kiss.

Zoro groaned at the loss, but when Sanji pushed him back down he wondered in his scrambled brain what was going on. He was still chasing after the skittering marbles of his brain when he felt Sanji mouth at his neck. He groaned again, bucking up at the sensation, and he was suddenly flipped over. With a yelp, he was face-planting in the grass and Sanji was doing something behind his back. Zoro felt heat creep up his neck, and he tried desperately to ignore the growing problem down south.

"You guys are real idiots," Sanji snapped at him, undoing his bonds. "We don't have time for this, where's the Sunny, we're leaving," he said.

Zoro, red faced, sat up to look at him with a questioning eye. "Docked," he said mindlessly.

Sanji rolled his eyes. "I got that, stand up."

The blonde stood and brushed off his dress, pouting at the ripped seams. It was gonna break soon and then he would be naked, which was something he didn't want right now. Sanji looked up to see Zoro staring at him, face inflamed even more than it had been a second ago.

"I love you," he blurted out, to which his face grew even redder, the color spreading to his neck and ears.

Sanji smiled softly and stepped forward, running a dainty hand up Zoro's chest. "I love you too, idiot. But we don't have time for this, come on."

Zoro blinked at him, totally braindead if Sanji had to guess. But they didn't have time, they needed to leave. Now. He grabbed Zoro's hand and went marching out of the jungle. Zoro followed like an idiot, giving him a brainless look. Sanji smiled, it was a cute look. He walked them back to the platforms to see that Robin and Nami where untying their crew. Nadine was glaring daggers at them and when she spotted Sanji she marched over to him with menace.

"What is going on here?" she demanded.

Sanji stopped, pulling Zoro behind him. "I'm sorry, your majesty. But we can't let you kill our crew," he said.

Nadine's face changed. She looked thoughtful, but Sanji doubted that. "You're pirates?" she asked.

Sanji nodded his head. "Yes, and I wasn't totally honest about my Devil Fruit. I'm actually a man, your majesty. My Devil Fruit allows me to change gender as well." As he said this he changed his body back to its normal form, using the clothes to form his normal outfit.

Nadine gaped at him, wide eyed. "You lied to me," she said. "You lied," she repeated, this time with more vigor. "I want you off my island, right now. Go gather your supplies and leave us alone, you- you heathen monster!" she screamed.

Sanji was more than a bit taken aback and lowered his head out of shame. He nodded, then took off with Zoro's and still in his. Nadine watched them go, her expression changing as she saw how tightly they were holding hands. Her eyes widened and she gaped in shock. She looked at the green haired Swordsman and his expression threw her for a loop. He looked back at her with ice cold murder in his eye. But the moment he looked at the Sanji-chan, his eye softened and a smile appeared on his face. Nadine had seen that expression once, on the face of a man that had loved her. She felt a sudden crushing loneliness inside her chest. She hoped that man could ever forgive her for how badly she had mistreated him. A silent tear rolled over her face as she watched the couple go. She turned on her heels, ordered her guards back into the palace and took off, shielding her face from her people.

Sanji was in a rather good mood, later that evening. They had stocked up on supplies and one of the islands residents had secretly given him a new dress, like the one he'd ripped. He had thanked her by giving her a letter addressed to the Queen and a book of recipes they could use. Her smile was blinding and then she had taken off, waving at him with glee. Sanji boarded the ship after that, gave the dress to Nami and went about preparing dinner for the crew. He had to make a feast, they were back after all.

Dinner was a huge feast and the crew was so happy to have them back. Sanji couldn't help but smile. They told the crew about the island and everything that had been there.

"Hey, Sanji. You should show off that dress you got," Ussop piped up.

Sanji pulled a face, but it was smothered when Chopper voiced his agreement. He sighed, what else had he expected. He should go by clothes with Nami sometime. He would need them, he couldn't make everything himself, that would cost energy.

"Later," he promised them when he spotted Zoro's red face. "I don't think it'll be good for Zoro's heart," he added.

Zoro threw his sake bottle at Sanji head and the blonde laughed, ducking in time to avoid it. The crew laughed and Brook began a song with the lighthearted mood. It wasn't long before the party was in full swing and Luffy had begun to dance on the table together with Ussop and Chopper. Sanji clapped and laughed along with the rest, but his eyes were drawn to Zoro more times than he could count. They locked eyes a few times, quickly looking away with the electrifying contact. Apparently, Franky seemed to notice the tension between them and a smirk grew on his face. Sanji didn't like that smirk, but he wasn't gonna complain when Franky told them he was going to build something and that they should continue the party without him. Luffy did complain, but after a while he was dancing and laughing and eating again.

Sanji threw Zoro another sake bottle and the Swordsman caught it. He grinned and downed half the bottle, then yelled at Nami when she stole it from him and chugged the rest of it. Sanji rolled his eyes and produced a mass amount more for the two of them to drink. The party was on in full swing and Sanji couldn't be more happy. Their course was set and the weather was good. There was nothing to worry about now, he was home.

When midnight struck, they went their own ways, going to bed or staying up to have some more fun, or be on watch. Sanji and Zoro were pulled aside by Franky and led down to the storage room below deck. Sanji shot him a questioning look, but Franky ignored it. He opened the door and pushed both of them inside, thrust a key into Zoro's hand and a bag in Sanji's, and then closed the door with a gleeful 'Have fun you guys, but don't be too loud!'.

"...What?" Zoro frowned, looking at the key in his hand.

Sanji gaped as he opened the bag. His face went red and he pushed it into Zoro's arms. The Swordsman looked inside only for his face to redden as well. He looked up at Sanji and then back to the bag.

"Um-" he began.

"Yeah..." Sanji said.

"Should we...? I mean-"

"I don't know, do you want to?"

"I guess," Zoro muttered as he looked into the bag again.

It was filled with two bottles of lube, more than enough condoms for a lifetime and multiple sex toys they didn't really need. Sanji saw Zoro swallow and he scratched at his nape. This was awkward. Very much so.

"Should there be like a mood or something?" Sanji questioned.

He turned to look behind him, expecting the storage room, but he was met with a different sight and his eyes widened as he gasped. Before him was a king sized bed, a big closet, a dresser, two nightstands and it was all beautifully made, truly wonderful. Sanji heard Zoro gasp beside him and he looked over. Zoro was staring wide eyed, grip slack on the bag and key. Sanji caught them both and placed the key in the lock, turning it to secure the door.

Zoro turned to him, red in the face and blabbering. "I- uh, we should- Do you want to or should I leave. I don't really want to-"

He was cut off once more that day, when Sanji crashed into him and sent both themselves, and the bag, flying onto the bed. Sanji sealed their lips and ground his hips down onto Zoro's, eliciting a moan from the other man. Zoro's hips bucked up out of their own accord and he moaned into the kiss, all awkwardness forgotten. He flipped them over, grinding down on Sanji with force. The blonde let loose a moan that went straight to the Swordsman's groin. He gasped and began pulling at Sanji's clothes.

Sanji helped, of course, by shrugging off his jacket and fumbling with the bag at the same time. He shed his jacket and tie, letting them fall to the floor, and then pushed a bottle of lube into Zoro's hand. The Swordsman eyed him with that one, stormy grey eye of his and grinned. Sanji smiled, tugging off his shirt and working on his belt. Zoro's mouth latched onto his neck and Sanji shuddered. His nimble fingers worked off his pants, shoes and socks, then went to work on Zoro's clothes as the man was still working on giving him a lot of purple bruises.

"Ah God, Sanji can I-?" Zoro cut himself off with a groan as Sanji slipped a hand into his pants.

Sanji panted along his jaw, kissing his cheek. "Anything," he gasped. "You can do anything you want. Now hurry up and fuck me already!"

Zoro nodded mutely against his shoulder and Sanji felt him shift. He began to move his hand, stroking Zoro inside his trousers. Sanji grinned, he should have known the man would go commando. It wasn't weird at all with the cave-man. The blonde latched onto Zoro's earrings, sucking on them as the latter spread some lube on his fingers. Zoro's hand was a bit cold, but when Sanji got used to the intrusion, it was mind blowing and he arched his back off the bed, releasing a strangled moan.

Zoro sucked on his skin, at the junction between torso and neck, creating another lovely hickey. "Sanji," he grit out. "I won't last, can I have you now?" he half moaned the question as Sanji smeared lube over his straining erection.

"You can. Zoro I can't wait either, do it already. I want to feel you inside me," Sanji panted.

Zoro's face grew red and Sanji could feel heat rolling off the man in waves. The Swordsman pushed his pants low on his hips and lined up with Sanji's prepped hole. He slowly slid inside, to the relief of both of them. Sanji moaned and Zoro could only bite his tongue, keeping still to let the blonde adjust.

"Come on, move already," Sanji gasped, nails digging into Zoro's back, leaving half-moon marks in his skin.

Zoro groaned and set a smooth pace, rocking into Sanji gently. They both gasped, and it wasn't long before they reached their peaks. Sanji came with a breathless yell of Zoro's name, creating lines in Zoro's back as he clutches the man close to him. The green haired man followed with an inaudible gasp, too far gone to make any noise. He shuddered to a stop, juddering his hips into Sanji once more on instinct. Sanji mewled, crashing his lips with Zoro in a heated kiss, tongues sliding languidly against each other. Zoro pulled back, enjoying the sight of Sanji's plump, kiss bruised lips and his red cheeks as he came down from that high.

"I love you," Zoro told him again.

Sanji smiled and pulled the man in to lay beside him. "I love you too," he whispered before he fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6, Sauna Fun

This is, for the most part, straight up sex. So be prepared for a steamy hot make-out session. I hope you enjoy!

~Rebecca

* * *

**Chapter 6, Sauna Fun**

Sanji sauntered after the others, towel around his waist. The air was humid and damp, mist hanging in the warmed chambers. Sanji couldn't hear anyone in the baths, so he guessed they were the only ones here. He followed after Zoro and cringed as Luffy bombarded Ussop by flinging them both into the warm water. Ussop screeched, but was quickly laughing as Chopper joined them with a loud splash.

"Can't they keep it down?" Zoro grouched.

Sanji rolled his eyes and lowered himself into the water, sighing and leaning back against the backrest. He closed his eyes and let out a breath, the warm air falling over him. A splash next to him made him aware of Zoro's appearance and he cracked his eyes open again. The Swordsman had sat down next to him, relaxing in the water as well.

"You definitely needed that," Sanji smiled, after Zoro let out a long, satisfied sigh.

Zoro rolled his eye, steal meeting blue as they locked. Zoro broke the stare and went to watch the others as they splashed around in the sauna. He had a fond smile on his face, then it morphed into irritation as Luffy went to deep and he had to shout at Ussop to go and get the idiot.

"Wow, they never learn," Sanji remarked and crossed his arms behind his head.

Zoro hummed in agreement and closed his eye, resting against the back rest as well. There were no other people so the others could play all they wanted. Sanji noted that Brook and Franky were bathing in one of the hot tubs, conversing with each other on something. Sanji noted a splash on the other side of the wall and rose a brow. He knew that was the women's side and he wondered if Nami and Robin where there.

He didn't want to peek though. Ever since eating that Devil Fruit, he hasn't had any urge to seeing a woman naked. He could just look at himself. He could just transform his body and look at that. It did give him an idea though. But he didn't have to do anything, cause it solved itself.

"Let's peek on the girls," Luffy mumbled at Ussop, Chopper, Franky and also Brook.

Sanji didn't know how, but they all nodded and went to climb over the walls, peeking over it. Sanji grinned, now was his chance. He scooted over to Zoro and transformed, glad he could use his powers in the water.

"Hey, Zoro~" he muttered into the man's ear, letting his tongue slide over the golden earrings.

Zoro's eye shot open and he immediately flushed red as he saw Sanji's female form sitting next to him. He stilled, freezing to the spot. His hands retracted themselves from behind his head and he carefully looked Sanji in the eye.

"What are you planning?" he asked softly, a whisper to keep the mood in place.

Sanji grinned, sly and sexy. He brought his hand up and stroked it over Zoro's chest. Then he swung one leg over Zoro's waist to straddle him, pressing his chest up to the tanned man before him. Zoro breathed in sharply, but didn't do anything.

"Don't you want a peek?" Sanji asked, pressing his cleavage together in such a way that it was impossible for Zoro to look away.

Zoro swallowed, his face heating even more. He settled a hand on Sanji's slender waist and pulled him in. He pressed a kiss to Sanji's neck, murmuring a curse.

"Turn back already. If Nami's seen them, she's gonna make them fall and then they'll see you. I don't want to share," Zoro whispered in his ear, hot tongue licking inside the shell.

Sanji shuddered hard, slender fingers splaying over Zoro's pecs and continuing their travels down. Zoro's abs contracted, anticipating what Sanji was going to do, but he wasn't in favor of it. Zoro's hands stopped Sanji progress, pulling them up to kiss.

"Turn back," Zoro ordered.

Sanji pouted, but did as told, turning back and cocking his head at Zoro in question. Zoro suddenly stood, making Sanji tumble down and submerge in the water with a yelp. Sanji came up again to see that Zoro was clearly affected by what he had done, his wrist in the tight grip of Zoro's hand. The Swordsman stared at him, before pulling him up and out of the tub, walking briskly to one of the private showers. Sanji's face heated, realizing that he'd put them in a compromising position. Now he was gonna pay for it, not that he wouldn't like it.

Zoro pushed him inside the stall, locked the door and pressed him against the wall, both their towels falling to the floor in urgency.

"We don't have time for this, idiot," Sanji hissed.

Zoro ignored him, mouthing at his neck and shoulders. His tongue was hot on Sanji's sensitive skin and it made him shudder. Zoro muttered an agreement and turned the blonde around, kissing him on the lips while his hands explored the Cook's body. Sanji had given up by this point, knowing that Zoro wanted to get off, even if they didn't have time for full on sex.

"I want your mouth on me," Zoro whispered in his ear.

Sanji nodded wordlessly and sank to his knees, wrapping his hand around Zoro's throbbing length. Zoro hissed and tangled his hand in Sanji's hair, though he didn't force the blonde to do anything, just let it rest there. Sanji licked his lips nervously. He'd done this only once so far, and Zoro had absolutely loved it, shattering under his touch. He could do it again, and he was planning to.

Zoro tugged on his hair gently, urging him forward. Sanji rolled his eyes and wrapped his lips around the red, flushed head of Zoro's erection. The Swordsman groaned softly and pawed at the wall, he had to find a way to silence them. He turned the shower knob, spraying them with hot water, before getting the temperature right. The water cascaded down on them, and Sanji shivered in delight. He wrapped his lips around Zoro again, having been distracted by the sudden rush of water, and licked the head slowly.

Zoro's knees where already trembling, and Sanji ran a hand up his thigh, stroking upwards to knead the flesh. Zoro let out a harsh breath and to Sanji's delight, a small moan ripped itself from the man's throat. Zoro's hand cradled his head and Sanji opened his mouth wider, taking in more of the man. He wanted Zoro to feel good, and judging by the tremble that went through the man's body, he was.

Then Sanji had an idea that could be a make or break moment. He looked up at Zoro, saw that flushed face of his and decided that, yes, he wanted to. So he did. He slowly, ever so slowly, transformed into that form that Zoro loved so much. Sure, Zoro loved Sanji as himself, and any other form he would take. But Sanji knew that Zoro got a kick out of seeing him as a woman with that short, unruly blonde hair sticking to his face.

Zoro's breath hitched and he held his breath as he gazed down at the beauty sucking his cock. They hadn't had sex like this before, just because Sanji was afraid he'd get pregnant or something, but Zoro would really love to, and now he'd transformed into that woman that was so much like Kuina, but it was just a more beautiful side of Sanji that Zoro absolutely loved. The Swordsman stroked Sanji's scalp, short hair falling through his fingers. Sanji's teeth scraped over him and his knees buckled, sending him to the floor in an ungraceful manner. He chocked down on a moan that threatened to escape him.

Sanji's smile was wide and he loved that he made Zoro weak. The Swordsman was breathing rather heavy and Sanji just continued to bob his head. He could see Zoro slap a hand over his mouth in the corner of his eye, but he kept on going. It wasn't long before Zoro came, a breathless cry spilling past the hand over his mouth. Sanji's mouth was flooded with the man's essence and he pulled off, letting Zoro sag against the stall. He rose up and kissed Zoro, trading the man's seed with him. Zoro moaned beside himself, a disgusted look on his face.

"Don't do that again," he said between pants, as Sanji released him.

The blonde smirked at him, then rose up a little more to straddle the man. He licked Zoro's neck, sucking on that sensitive spot just below his ear.

"Won't you do me?" Sanji asked, breathless as well.

Zoro's face was a hilarious mix of 'really?' and 'you can't be serious'. But the most prominent one was 'oh my god yes!', that had Sanji smiling at him. Zoro didn't waste a moment, Sanji still on his lap, and stuck three fingers in his own mouth, licking them and covering them in saliva. Sanji watched him all the while, not really knowing why he had asked that of Zoro, but he wanted to anyway.

"... Can I really?" Zoro asked slowly, looking up at Sanji for confirmation.

The blonde nodded, caressing his fingers through Zoro's green hair. The Swordsman didn't waste another moment and kissed Sanji roughly on the lips, then rubbed at him with a wet finger. Sanji jolted, but kept still, resting his weight on Zoro's thighs. Zoro slowly, gently, pushed one digit inside of Sanji. The blonde Cook grit his teeth, it was such a weird feeling. Sure, they'd done it as men, but never as men and women. Sanji wasn't planning to though, he just wanted Zoro to get him off. Apparently, Zoro knew this. He thrusted in slowly, curling his finger inside of Sanji just right for the blonde to melt into him like the putty he was.

Zoro grabbed his chin and brought Sanji's face to meet his own in a kiss so sweet and tender, it made Sanji's heart sigh. A slight burn made hi aware of the fact that Zoro had slipped another finger inside his folds while he was distracted. Sanji tore his lips from the Swordsman and laid his head on Zoro's shoulder, panting into his neck.

"You're so tight," Zoro murmured against Sanji's ear, grunting as he hefted the blonde up a little, jarring his fingers inside Sanji.

The blonde Cook let out a yelp, slapping a hand over his mouth, manicured nails digging into his cheek. Zoro let out a breathless laugh, and Sanji was released a little. His bare ass made contact with Zoro's cock and the Swordsman stilled. Sanji grinned into his neck when he noted that Zoro was hard again. Rather kinky if he had to say so himself. Getting hard from prepping and pleasuring his lover.

"You have an endless libido, don't ya?" Sanji whispered, groaning as Zoro pushed in his last finger to join the rest and curl into him.

Zoro hummed, bucking his hips to slide his erection between Sanji's ass cheeks. The blonde shivered, Zoro's fingers working him and that was almost too much. And then Zoro other hand was working on his pleasure spot, wrenching a cry from Sanji's lips. The Cook came hard, shuddering in Zoro's arms as he rode out his high.

"Sshhh, you're okay, you're good. Come on, be quiet," Zoro murmured into his ear, then grunted as he reached his high as well.

He shuddered against Sanji, and when they came down, the shower had washed away any traces of their activities. Sanji gave a slow smile, to which Zoro rolled his eye.

"We should really have sex like this sometimes," Sanji mused.

"You didn't want to, and we're not doing that in the sauna where anyone can hear us," Zoro grumbled as he pushed himself to his feet, helping Sanji stand on wobbly legs.

The blonde Cook pouted, transformed back to himself and crossed his arms.

"I can change my mind, can't I?" he said.

Zoro snorted. "Of course you can," he responded, kissing Sanji's head. "Now let's get out of here, I think the others have left already."

Sanji rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at his lips and he followed Zoro out of the stall, smacking the man's ass as he went. Zoro growled, swiped up his towel and hurtled it at Sanji's face. Sanji didn't duck in time and got hit full in the face, the wet towel wrapping itself around his head. He shrieked, slipped on the floor and went down hard on his ass. He cursed, tugged the towel from his face, and flung it back at Zoro.

It resulted in a round of fighting that had Nami scolding them and paying for the damage done to the bathhouse. It also ended with the two of them nursing twin black eyes as they glared daggers at each other.

**o-o-o**

"Sir," a young Soldier stepped into the cabin, saluting at the Captain before him.

The man at the desk didn't respond, but kept tossing the coin between his fingers with an irritable look on his face. There was a dark aura hanging around him and the Cadet gulped, suddenly very aware that he was in the lion's den.

"Captain Kuroda," he said again, clearing his throat as his voice cracked. "I- I was asked to inform you that we know the location of the Straw Hat Pirates," he squeaked.

The man at the desk stiffened, turning his head to look at the Cadet with blazing eyes. "Repeat what you just said," he ordered.

The Cadet froze, swallowing thickly. "I-I s-said, sir- The S-Straw Hat Pirates ha-have been l-located," he muttered.

The man at the desk rose, black punky hair standing on end. A smile cracked over his reddish face and he cackled. "Why didn't you say so before! We will pursue them!" he exclaimed, walking from behind the desk to stand by the window.

The Cadet nodded slowly, inching out of the dark room carefully. "I shall tell the other's, sir," he said.

"See that you do," the man said.

A manic smile rose on his face and his eyes twinkled. He wrung his hands together in anticipation and couldn't contain the cackle that fell from his lips.

"I shall get my revenge, Roronoa. And my prized Devil Fruit User. Blackleg won't escape me a second time. And you, Roronoa, shall be dead by the time I'm done with you."

The Cadet, yet to be out of the cabin, gulped heavily. He tumbled over his feet and scampered from the room, heart beating a million miles in his chest. The Captain was strong, yes, but he was a scary motherfucker and the young Soldier never wanted to talk to him again.


	7. Chapter 7, Trouble Stirs

**I hope you enjoy this chapter of fluffiness and the likes. It'll be a very nice chapter to read. I hope you like it all and that this answers the question about why Shoda isn't dead yet. I am so in love with this story by the way. I have been trying to write chapter eight for a while now, and each time it was moved up to another chapter. Now it'll be chapter eight, so be prepared for fights and captured crew mates. Enjoy!**

**~Rebecca**

* * *

**Chapter 7,** **Trouble Stirs**

Shoda fingered the scar on his chest. It was still an ugly red, and the stitches had not yet been removed. He growled, swearing that he'd get his revenge. The wound hurt, but he'd give back as good as he got. He would destroy the Pirate Hunter for giving him such an ugly wound.

The scar was no more than a fine line on his chest, but the Captain despised it. The sword had pierced him just above his heart, and he would have certainly died had it not been for one of his subordinates with a healing Devil Fruit power. He'd had to recover for a week, but after, he ordered his men to search for the Straw Hat Pirates.

He'd get his revenge, no matter what.

Roronoa Zoro was going to die.

And Black Leg Sanji.

Well...

Shoda smirked, he'd get what he wanted, there was no doubt about it. He'd have to make a good strategy, fight the Pirate Hunter himself. The Captain set his pencil down and frowned. How though, the Straw Hats were strong. He'd have to think of something really, _really_, good. Otherwise it wouldn't work out like he wanted it too.

But if he...

No that wouldn't work.

What if he..?

Nah, same outcome.

How about...

A glint appeared in his eyes and Shoda threw his sunglasses down onto the table, smirking down at his crawly handwriting. It was the perfect plan. Perfect. Amazing even. He had to make sure his subordinates knew what to do, otherwise it would fail. But if it worked, than he'd be victorious.

"Well then, let's get that settled," Shoda murmured to himself as he stood, walking over to the door.

He opened it stiffly and the guards in front froze. They saluted their Captain and averted their eyes, fear clear in them.

"At ease, men. Can one of you tell me how long to the next island, and possibly the Straw Hat Pirates?" Shoda asked, walking away.

"Uh- Sir, it's just a little more. Perhaps only ten hours."

Shoda nodded, turned the corner and left he guards alone. He'd have to fit his plan in that time span, make everything ready. It would have to do. Now he just needed a better collar for his Devil Fruit User. With a grin on his face, Shoda disappeared further into the ship, his plan formulating nicely in his head.

It was just a matter of time now.

**o-o-o**

Zoro watched Sanji as the womanized Cook was soaking up the sun on the deck. Sanji had always been pale, but now he had a little more color. It didn't help much though, he was still just as fair skinned as Nami was. Zoro sighed, crossing his arms behind his head as he continued to watch his perfect fantasy lying on his lawn chair.

Sanji's hair was long, purposely, and done up in a messy bun. Few strands were hanging loose, framing his delicate face. Zoro could see the longer lashes from where he sat against the mast. Sanji's lips were plump and full, shiny red with saliva. And to top it off, he was wearing a skimpy bikini, the blue color going nicely with his eyes. There was a cloth draped around his hips, secured with a tight knot so it wouldn't fall off.

And Zoro couldn't keep his eye away. Sanji was the most perfect thing he'd ever seen and he didn't want to miss any of it. Sanji's movements were graceful and feminine, he'd had enough time to practice. He even fooled people at the last island into thinking Zoro had a beautiful girlfriend. All the villagers had been exited and celebrated something weird. He'd gotten a stone necklace from one of the village women, and her words kept echoing in his head.

_"If you ever wish to marry that wonderful young woman, give her this. On our island it's like an engagement ring. Keep it safe, young warrior, for its precious Sapphire. Stone has memory, and if you ask her with this stone, it'll remember and never leave her neck no matter how hard anyone will try." _

It was just a stupid stone, so why was it keeping him busy. His fingers had been fiddling with it in his pocket all this time. The stone was smooth, and Zoro had to admit that it was beautiful. The stone had te same color as Sanji's eyes, deep ocean blue. It would sparkle in the sun and Zoro would gaze at it, wondering. Would he want to marry Sanji?

Yes, he would.

Very much.

It fried his brain the moment that woman had said it. He'd been frozen, taking in every word she said while his brain leaked out of his head. A blush had covered his face, inflaming it, reaching up his ears. The woman had smiled, pressed the necklace into his hand and pushed him towards the rest of the crew.

They'd looked at him weirdly, especially when he had refused to let them see what he was holding as he avoided Sanji's gaze. He'd avoided everyone for the rest of the day, contemplating what he should do. And he also got lost.

Zoro bonked his head against the mast, which he had been sitting against. He pulled the necklace out of his pocket and watched it sparkle in the sun. It was beautiful, just like the person he would give it to.

"Hey Zoro! What is that?" Luffy's voice penetrated his thoughts and Zoro looked up.

Luffy was sitting in front of him with a thoughtful look on his face, eyeing the Sapphire necklace that dangled between Zoro's fingers. The young Captain had a sparkle in his eyes as he looked at the jewel, and then he sat down in front of Zoro. His fingers gently took the black cord from Zoro's fingers. The Swordsman stared, transfixed, as Luffy studied the jewel with a serious look.

"This is from the last island we were at," Luffy stated.

Zoro nodded, taking the necklace back from Luffy and wiping his finger over it as he stared into it. "It is," he agreed.

"It's like a wedding ring, right?" Luffy piped up.

Zoro froze, his face paling a few shades as he looked up at his Captain. Luffy only smiled and jerked a thumb in Sanji's direction.

"Sanji has one too, just like that," he said. "It's green though. He said it was a Jade."

Zoro's eye flew to Sanji, who was still lounging on the lawn chair without a care in the world. Then he looked back at Luffy with a quirk of his brow. Luffy nodded his head a few times and his smile grew just a little brighter. The Straw Hat Captain stood, dusted off his pants and grinned even wider. There was a glint in his eyes that told Zoro what he needed to know. The Swordsman shot to his feet and gulped, necklace in a tight fist as he nodded at Luffy.

The Captain had given his consent, so that meant that Zoro could do whatever he desired. And what he desired most was for Sanji to be by his side when he became the Greatest Swordsman in the world. Zoro breathed out once, and then made his way over to Sanji.

"Come on Cook," he said, grabbing Sanji's wrist and draggin him off the chair.

Sanji yelped, sunglasses that had been on his face falling to the floor. He scrambled for balance, thin, long legs flailing to get under him.

"Oi! Stupid! What are you thinking draggin me off the chair like that! I could have injured myself, you ungrateful little-"

He was cut off as Zoro kissed him. It was just a soft kiss, but it did the trick and Sanji shut his mouth with a click. He pouted, cheeks reddening in an adorable way. Zoro rolled his eye and let go of Sanji's wrist. Sanji eyed him, suddenly uncertain, it seemed.

"What is it?" the blonde asked.

Zoro opened his mouth, but shut it as he got a good look at Sanji. The sun was shining on him, and that golden hair of his looked even more like real gold than it usually did. His eyes sparkled and reflected the sea in them, and Zoro was lost. Lost in that blue like, lost like he'd been since he laid his eye on them the first time.

He couldn't stop himself from saying it though, and it blurted out of him in one fell swoop that had his cheeks reddening and made his heart soar in his chest.

"Marry me."

Sanji's eyes widened, and that curled brow of his, which he hadn't bothered to change, shot up in utter shock. His cheeks inflamed and suddenly there stood a beautiful, shy woman in front of an equally shy Swordsman.

"W-What?" Sanji muttered, hand going to his mouth in surprise.

Zoro heard a snicker behind him and guessed Luffy was watching, perhaps he'd gotten the rest of the crew to watch.

"You heard me," he said, eye locking on Sanji's to confirm that, yes, the blonde had heard him.

Sanji's eyes filled with tears and they streamed over his face as he let out a chocked sob. A wide smile appeared on his face and he laughed, tears tracing down his cheeks and falling to the grassy deck.

"You bastard, why'd you have to ask me before I could ask you," he grit out. "Of course I'll marry you," he said.

Sanji didn't wait for his answer, Zoro had frozen over anyway. The blonde threw himself at the Swordsman and tackled them both to the deck as he kissed the green haired man. Zoro threw his arms around the Cook and kissed him back, ignoring the cheers that sounded around them. When they pulled away from each other, Sanji was still crying, openly this time. He bawled like a baby, cheeks still red and he sniffed a few times.

Then he smacked Zoro, hard.

"Hey! What the hell was that for!" Zoro cried out.

Sanji smiled, "Here."

It was the only warning Zoro got, before something was clipped around his neck and he looked down. It was the necklace Sanji had gotten. The Jade green sparkled in the sun and Zoro felt tears burn behind his eye, but he swallowed them down.

"Doesn't it match great with your Marimo hair!" Sanji teased as he drew back.

Zoro rolled his eye and held up his necklace, showing it to Sanji. Sanji's already teary eyes filled again and he gasped.

"Oh my God, Zoro it's beautiful," the Cook stuttered out.

Zoro grinned, leaned in and clipped the necklace around Sanji's neck. The jewel rested on his chest, just above his breasts and just below his collarbone. Zoro stared at it for a moment, then up at Sanji's eyes. They really where the same color. That beautiful ocean blue that Sanji always loved.

"Thanks," Sanji murmured suddenly.

"What for?" Zoro asked softly, gazing at him with a fond smile.

"You know, for saving me and all that stuff you did for me back at the Marine Base."

Zoro rolled his eye. "You don't need to thank me for that, you idiot."

Sanji smiled. The blonde stood and helped Zoro to his feet. The Swordsman instantly got tackled by three idiots who were bawling their eyes out because they thought 'that it was so cute and beautiful!'. Zoro growled, threating to cut them in half if they didn't get off. It didn't work. He could hear Sanji's hearty laugh and looked over to see the blonde smiling at him. Zoro smiled back, he wanted to see that expression on Sanji's face a lot more.

Sanji then got jumped by Nami and Robin, both of them crushing him in a hug that had Zoro laughing at the Cook. Sanji blushed, but kept it civil and hugged both ladies back. It was alright now, he could do it. Zoro watched him with that fond smile on his face, and if anyone ever mentioned it, he would deny it. But they always knew anyway. They always knew just by looking at him just how much he really loved Sanji.

Apparently it showed.

**o-o-o**

Sanji could hardly believe it. Zoro had asked to marry him. And he'd said yes. The Cook smiled to himself as he fiddled with the necklace, the Sapphire sparkling in the evening sun. He looked sideways at Zoro, who was snoring away with his hands behind his head as he lay in the grass. Sanji couldn't quite help the fond smile that made its way up his face. He weaved his fingers through Zoro's hair, the silky feeling easing him a bit.

He really did love the idiot, didn't he?

Of course he did, why else would he marry him. _But_, Sanji thought, _isn't it weird?_ _We're both men._ Then he shook his head, of course it was alright, they were Pirates for Pete's sake. It wasn't like they cared what others would think of them.

Sanji idly wondered if the crew was planning a wedding. They had both been kicked out of the galley. Sanji wasn't allowed to make dinner and his hands twitched at just the barest thought of it. He wanted to do it so bad, but he guessed he could today. Nami had threatened tha she would raise his debt if he set foot into the galley before they were done. And she'd done the same to Zoro.

"What are you thinking?" Zoro mumbled from his spot, cracking his eye open to look at Sanji.

Sanji looked down on him, eyes locking on the necklace resting on Zoro's chest. It really did fit him. It didn't match his eye though, that steel grey. It also didn't match his hair, not exactly anyway. For Sanji, it matched his spirit, his dream and his love for his crew. And of course his love for Sanji.

"Nothing, just wondering if Luffy is gonna marry us," he responded a pregnant pause.

Zoro's brow shot up and he pushed himself upright. "What?" he questioned.

Sanji grinned, of course Zoro wouldn't know this, he had lived on land for the better part of his life of course. Sanji however, had been living on a ship since he'd been seven, and he knew all there was to know about living on a ship.

"Captains can marry their crewmates. Like a priest or whoever does that on land. It's just the way it goes on a ship," Sanji told the Swordsman.

Zoro's frown only deepened at that. Then he spoke up with a grin on his face. "Luffy's too stupid to know how to do that," he chuckled.

Sanji rolled his eyes and looked down on the necklace Zoro wore. He reached out to touch it and slid his fingers over it, down until he met skin instead. Zoro didn't move, so Sanji sat a little closer and traced his hand over Zoro's abs slowly. The Swordsman shivered a little, but made no move to pull away. Sanji leaned down and pressed a kiss to the skin there. Zoro's abs contracted and the man mumbled a curse. He fisted Sanji's hair and hauled him in for a kiss. Sanji grinned in victory.

Zoro broke the kiss and glared at the blonde. "Do you love me or my abs? Sometimes I don't get you," he said.

Sanji broke out laughing. Of course he loved Zoro's abs, they were a part of him after all. Zoro rolled his eye and hauled the blonde back for another kiss, this time a little gentler than the first. Sanji placed a hand next to Zoro's head as he pushed him back down on the deck. He was about to take it a little further when the galley door banged open and Sanji broke the kiss to look up.

"Get over here, lover boys," Nami said, smirking and crossing her arms.

Sanji smiled and got off of Zoro, letting the Swordsman stand. Zoro shot him a look that their activities would be continued, no matter what Sanji's complains would be. Sanji shot back a smile that said he was totally okay with that. Then the both of them made their way up the stairs to the galley. It was illuminated with a lot of lights and when Sanji stepped in he could see they had gathered the Christmas lights and hung them along the walls. It was actually really pretty to look at.

Sanji's eyes then fell on the table and he couldn't contain the gasp that escaped him. On the table stood a two layer big wedding cake, decorated with flowers and blue and green gems. It was really pretty to look at and Sanji wondered in the back of his mind why it wasn't gone already with Luffy in the room.

He spotted Luffy biting his nails and glancing at the cake, but he looked resigned not to eat it until either of them did. He also noted that everyone had changed clothes to match the occasion, not all that special but a little more of the nicer clothes they possessed. Sanji couldn't help the smile on his face.

"Who-" he stammered, he couldn't even voice it.

"Me and Robin made the cake with one of your recipes. They're really accurate, thanks Sanji," Nami said.

Sanji felt something wet on his cheeks and wiped at his eyes. "It's beautiful, thanks," he muttered.

"Can we eat it now?" Luffy mumbled softly.

Nami bonked him on the head and it made them all smile to see that the Captain only growled and demanded a slice because 'I am the Captain and I want the cake!'.

Sanji motioned for Zoro to get over and the Swordsman laced his fingers with Sanji's. They were about to cut the cake when Nami yelped at them to wait a moment.

"You have to be married first!" she berated.

Zoro rolled his eye. "But we are!" he said as he held up the necklace.

Nami face-palmed. "No! You have to be married by Luffy! Get over here," she said as she dragged the Captain over and away from the cake. "Remember what we practiced earlier?" Nami asked him. When Luffy nodded she smiled, "Good, now get on with it!"

Luffy was pushed forward and both Zoro and Sanji were placed next to each other, facing each other. The crew went to stand behind them, and Luffy on the other side like a real priest. Luffy cleared his throat and a piece of paper appeared behind him in one of Robin's magical hands. Sanji looked at her and smiled.

"Alright, here we go. Zoro, say your vows, and Sanji after," Luffy said.

"Vows?" Zoro questioned.

"How should I know, I'm just reading what this paper says," Luffy muttered.

Sanji snickered. "Just tell me how you met me and what you thought off me, something like that."

Zoro's face cleared and suddenly there was a malicious grin on his face. "Alright," he said. "When I first met you, I thought you were a complete idiot. Stupidly in love and showing off that gorgeous body of yours in those tight suits." Sanji let out a 'hey!' and smacked Zoro's arm playfully. Zoro only grinned at him. "But the longer we sailed together the more I was drawn to your stupidity and the more I started to actually like you. First I thought of you as my partner in crime, then as my friend, and now as my lover and later this evening as my husband." Sanji blushed as Zoro said that, but he wasn't done yet. "Sanji, I love you, and I always will. I promise. And you know I never break my promises," Zoro said.

Sanji's face inflamed and he heard the crew aww at their display. Luffy turned to him and motioned for Sanji to take his turn.

Sanji cleared his throat. "When I first met you I thought you were going to die, 'cause of Mihawk. But when you stood up to him and declared that it was for your dream I felt something. I didn't know what it was at the moment, but now I do. We fought a lot, yes, but I also considered you my partner in crime. You were a Moss headed idiot. Still are actually." Zoro glared at him, but it only lasted a second. "I began to think of you as my brother, and as a friends. But when you rescued me and saved me from that Marine Captain, I knew what it was that I felt. I had fallen hard though, and it was a risk." Zoro frowned at him, but that also lasted only a second before he understood that Sanji had been afraid he didn't love the Cook. "Now I know that was foolish and I thank you once again for saving me. I love you Zoro. I swear on both my hands that will never change, and no lady, no matter how beautiful they are, shall steal me away from you, ever."

Sanji looked up, having bowed his head somewhere during the talking to see that Zoro's face was red and tears were gathered in his eyes. The blonde smiled at him and Zoro quickly wiped them away.

"You swore on your hands?" Zoro asked quietly.

Sanji nodded, and it served him another round of aww from the crew behind them. Luffy cut it off though with a rumble of his stomach. Sanji chuckled and motioned for him to get on with the ceremony. Luffy joined their hands together and stood back a little, turning his body to Zoro.

"Alright, repeat after me," he said. Zoro only nodded and Luffy began. "I, Roronoa Zoro, take thee, Vinsmoke Sanji."

Zoro repeated, "I, Roronoa Zoro, take thee, Vinsmoke Sanji,"

"To be my wedded husband, to have and to hold."

"To be my wedded husband, to have and to hold," Zoro's smile was wide.

"From this day forward, for better, for worse."

"From this day forward, for better, for worse," his eye locked onto Sanji's.

"For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health."

"For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health," Sanji smiled back.

"To love and to cherish, till death do us part."

"To love and to cherish, till death do us part," Sanji can't contain the blush.

"According to Roger's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my strength and my love."

"According to Roger's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my strength and my love," Zoro repeated with a grin.

"Alright, now Sanji," Luffy said with a grin. When Sanji nodded he repeated the same question. "I, Vinsmoke Sanji, take thee, Roronoa Zoro."

Sanji repeated, "I, Vinsmoke Sanji, take thee, Roronoa Zoro,"

"To be my wedded husband, to have and to hold."

"To be my wedded husband, to have and to hold," Sanji smirked as Zoro's ears went red.

"From this day forward, for better, for worse."

"From this day forward, for better, for worse," Sanji's eyes fell on the necklace.

"For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health."

"For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health," it was so beautiful.

"To love and to cherish, till death do us part."

"To love and to cherish, till death do us part," Sanji felt Zoro's hand squeeze his.

"According to Roger's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my strength and my love."

"According to Roger's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my strength and my love," Sanji repeated with his trademark grin reserved only for the ladies.

Luffy's grin was so wide it sparkled in the Christmas lights. "You may now kiss the groom," he said to Zoro with a twinkle in his eyes.

Zoro rolled his eye and pulled Sanji closer. Sanji could feel the crew's eyes on his back, but he only had eyes for Zoro right now. Zoro leaned in a bit, and when he was about to kiss Sanji, slanting his lips over the Cooks, the ship lurched to the side and they were thrown off balance. With wide eyes, they stared at each other.

"What happened?" Franky yelped, scrambling to his feet.

"ATTACK THE ENEMY! CAPTURE THE PIRATE HUNTER AND BLACK LEG AT ALL COSTS!" a voice outside screamed.

The crew shot up and looked at their two, yet to be married, crew mates. Sanji's face was paper white and Zoro's glare was set for murder.

This meant war.


	8. Chapter 8, Worst Case Scenario

**Hey you guys! I got a new chapter for you all. It's kinda dark and stuff, but don't worry, this story will have a happy ending for sure. WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH! I hope you enjoy and till the next chapter.**

**~Rebecca**

* * *

**Chapter 8, Worst Case Scenario**

Sanji had been having trouble tracking the battle. The ship was overflowing with Marines and the Straw Hat Pirates were defending their Nakama with vigor. He'd heard Luffy scream a few minutes ago, watched as he swiped half of the Marines off the deck and punched a good few in the face. He was smirking then, his friends were there for him and it would be alright. Or so he hoped. Now he knew that wasn't the case.

He'd seen Shoda a few times, but the man seemed intent to ignore him for now. The Captain had gone after Zoro the moment he spotted him and Sanji could only watch from afar as they battled sword to sword. Zoro had taken out a lot of other men all the while. Their crew danced around the fight, keeping out of the way to not get killed.

"Eyes on the battle blondie!" someone yelled.

Sanji whipped his head around and brought his foot up, the Marine walking straight into the boot. The man cursed, stepped back and rubbed his red nose as he straightened. Sanji cocked his head and grinned, this was easy.

"Don't be so full of yourself," the Marine growled and raised his sword.

Sanji sidestepped his swipe and kicked him in the abdomen, making him fly off the ship and crash into the ocean a few meters away. The blonde Cook lit himself a cigarette with the new found rest he had and glanced around the battlefield. He noted that his crew was giving them a good fight and decided to watch a little as each of them displayed their strengths.

Luffy was, of course, running rampage and being angry that the wedding had been disturbed. He'd been yelling for Shoda to fight him when another strong Marine had taken the Captain's place instead. Luffy had defeated most of the Marines around him, but the other one seemed intent on taking him head on.

Nami was banging a Marine on the head, scolding him for ripping her lovely skirt. Sanji rolled his eyes as he watched this. Nami was now demanding treasure as payment and the man was cowering on the floor before her. Sanji felt a little sympathy bloom in his chest. Poor fellow.

Ussop was up in the sails netting, sniping people off the deck and on the Marine's ship. They'd taken out a lot of them like that, but Ussop still wasn't done. They caught each other's eyes and smiled. Sanji saw Ussop's eyes widen and the Cook kicked back, nailing a Marine in the family jewels and sending him to the floor. His sword clattered to the deck behind him and he smiled up at Ussop.

Chopper was fighting in kung fu point on the other ship together with Franky. They'd tried to sink the ship, but it was fortified and they had still not been able to get inside. Sanji spotted Robin using her trade mark clutch move on a few of the marines.

Then, a shout caught his attention. As well as the rest of their attention. Sanji dreaded the origin of that shout. He turned his head to look, and sure enough, Zoro was gritting his teeth as he watched Wado lying on the grassy deck of the Sunny. Blood was flowing from between his lips and he blinked rapidly. Sanji felt his breath catch. Shoda had used that punch on his again. Did the bastard have a Devil Fruit?

"That's right," Shoda said, as if he could hear Sanji think.

The man looked up at him from where he was standing on the deck and stretched out his hand, grabbing onto Zoro's sword Sandai Kitetsu. Sanji's eyes widened as he saw a shockwave travel up the sword. Zoro yelled again, this time strained, and dropped the sword with a wide eye.

"You bastard," the man gritted out. "You broke my arm."

That had Sanji's eyes widening even more. Shoda laughed, and all fighting seemed to cease. Luffy growled from the sidelines and stared at Shoda, killing intent flowing from his once boyish complex. Shoda grinned at Sanji one more time before grabbing Zoro's other sword. The Swordsman immediately tried to pull back, a grunt making it past his lips as his sword didn't budge. His eye widened and Sanji could hear the cry from the crew as Zoro suddenly flew back, smashing into the railing only to hang there and vomit blood.

"Zoro!" Chopper cried out in fear, taking off towards him, but he was blocked by several Marines.

Sanji wondered idly where all these men were coming from, but his thoughts were interrupted when a hand grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. He yelped in surprise, turned his head to look behind him only to get a cloth pressed to his mouth.

"Sanji!" Luffy's cry tore over the deck with a blast of Conquerors Haki strong enough to fell a giant.

Several men fell, but not the one that held Sanji, nor the ones in front of Zoro. Shoda was laughing again, but Sanji's vision was fading and he knew instantly that whatever was on the cloth, was making him pass out. He struggled in the man's hold, albeit weakly in fear of breaking his wrist. Tears gathered in his eyes as his arm bent painfully and he glanced over at his crew. They looked crestfallen and worried, some turning to him, other's to Zoro.

"Don't let them get away!" Luffy ordered.

"They won't!" Robin agreed.

Shoda's laugh was a little more sinister this time and everyone stopped to look at him. He held up a remote and it was enough of a signal for the men on the ship to suddenly grab a gas mask. Robin gasped in surprise and turned to the side of the ship. Shoda pressed the button, and a weird blue gas made its way on the ship. Sanji heard the cry of surprise and the thud of a body falling to the floor.

His vision was blurred and he could only see shapes. It wasn't long before he heard a whispered cry of his name, and everything went black.

**o-o-o**

Sanji's eyes opened slowly and he shifted around a bit to get his bearings. With a groan, he realized he was lying in a bed, soft covers covering his suddenly female body. He could now feel that the collar transformed him partly. It wasn't complete lest he do it himself. It actually hurt to be in a halfway state of transformation. He groaned again as he sat up, looking around the room to see where he was.

The room was nicely decorated with sea blue colors and stylish furniture. Sanji rose his brow and glanced at the door. It was obviously locked, and he could feel the rocking of a ship so that mean they were still on the ocean. Sanji hated his situation, for he quickly realized where he was.

Shoda must have captured him, and Zoro too, judging by how they were keeping the crew from him. He sighed, sitting up straight and swinging his legs over the bed. It was rather frustrating to feel so weak. The collar around his neck must have been sea stone. It itched and gave him a slight burning feeling on his skin.

His legs were weak and even standing took an effort. Sanji felt like an idiot for not having checked his surroundings. This could have been avoided if he'd just sensed the man behind him. But he had been so distracted by Zoro that he hadn't. And then he'd been captured by that revolting man. Sanji shuddered and pushed himself to his feet to get across the room to a dresser.

He pulled open the cabinets and frowned at the inventory. It was full of panties, bra's and other lady things he'd need in this form. He sighed, tugged himself out of the too large dress shirt and pulled on a pair of underwear. He spotted a mirror and noted his worn out form, not like how he usually looked while he was transformed. He'd have to ask to transform, perhaps even beg if he wanted out of this painful form. He sighed and pulled his hair into a ponytail, tying it with a hairband.

He opened another cabinet and pulled out a pair of black stockings. He pulled them on, pulling them over his knees. He kind of liked them, they were comfortable. He searched further into the dresser and pulled out a few dresses, laying them on the bed. One was a maid's outfit, another a nurses and so on. He spat in disgust and walked back to the dresser, pulling out all sorts of clothes. Finally, he found a good dress.

It was a light blue dress that reached just over his knees. It was light and very comfortable. The straps over his shoulders didn't hurt and he twirled a few times in the mirror to look at himself. It was simple, but good enough to satisfy his need to get clothed. Sanji was pulled from his musing as the door to the room was unlocked and Captain Shoda walked in. Sanji glared at him, but it wasn't such a hard glare with the energy he was missing.

"You do know that my transformation isn't complete, right?" Sanji sneered.

Shoda's head shot up and he looked at the blonde with wide eyes. "So you are awake. Glad to see you again, Black Leg," he said, advancing on Sanji.

"Oh no, stay right there, pervert!" Sanji said as he took a step back, pointing at the floor.

Shoda grew a grin worthy of fearing and ignored Sanji's warning. He reached out and tapped the collar around Sanji's neck.

"I know that, but I couldn't transform you otherwise. I can make a deal with you if you want out of that painful form. So, what do you say?" Shoda asked, a glint in his eyes.

"I could easily take you down once this collar is off, why should I make a deal with you?" Sanji sneered, crossing his arms under his bosom.

Shoda grinned and took a step back, nodding his head. "You could very well, I don't doubt your ability. But I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said with a sneer. "If you want your friend to live, you won't," he added.

Sanji's eyes widened. Shoda looked more than smug and Sanji fisted his hands at his side, trying hard not to punch the bastard in his face.

"Wat did you do to Zoro?" he growled.

Instinctively, his hand reached for the necklace around his neck, thankfully still there. Shoda saw the movement and scowled.

"Not much, yet. If you don't co-operate, I'll make sure he suffers," he growled.

He grabbed onto the necklace around Sanji's neck and janked on it, intent to get it off because obviously that Swordsman had given it to him. Sanji yelped, but the necklace didn't break loose from around his neck. Shoda's eyes widened.

"You married him, didn't you?" he muttered. "I'll kill him," he snarled, turning to the door.

"NO!" Sanji's hands stopped him, a pleading look in his eyes. "I'll do anything, just don't kill him, please!" he said hastily.

Shoda looked ready to explode. Slowly, a grin formed on his face and he tapped the collar again.

"I'll let you transform fully, but if you pull anything, I'll kill him regardless of what you ask of me. I'm not a heartless monster, and certainly not towards my wife," he whispered, leaning in to peck Sanji on the cheek.

Sanji sneered in disgust, but he had no choice. "Alright, I won't run, but you have to promise not to kill him!" he demanded.

Shoda took a step back in mock surprise, hand rising to his heart. "How dare you accuse me of lying, my dear Annabeth!" he replied, sarcasm in his voice.

"Annabeth?" Sanji asked, frowning.

"Ah, yes. My wife's name was Annabeth. You don't look like her just yet, only a female version of yourself. I am going to show you a picture of her, and then you transform into her. Oh and here," Shoda said.

Sanji watched tensely as he produced a Snail monitor from his pocket and switched it on. The blonde gasped the moment he saw what was on the footage. He held his hands in front of his mouth as he watched Zoro. The Swordsman was chained with massive shackles to the floor, kneeling on the ground. His hands were wrenched behind him, he was blindfolded and gagged. The room was dark, but Sanji could see that Zoro was injured still, probably from the battle. He was taking ragged breaths, but seemed fine otherwise.

"That's what your man looks like now, he can be worse if I want," Shoda threatened.

Sanji knew that he didn't have much of a choice, if he defied this man then Zoro would absolutely die a horrible death. He wanted to protect him, his dreams and his being. Sanji gritted his teeth, he really didn't have a choice.

"I'll do it, just don't hurt him," he whispered, defeated.

Shoda smiled and ruffled Sanji's hair. He removed the collar from Sanji's neck and showed him the photograph of a beautiful blonde haired woman. Her hair was curling down her back and her eyes sparkled like the sea as she smiled at the camera. Her face was normal, like an ordinary woman's face. Her body was normal, like an ordinary woman's body. And thus Sanji transformed into her, much to the delight of one Marine Captain. The man redid the collar around his neck and Sanji felt the weakness sea stone brought. He wondered why he was weak to the stone and not the sea itself. He'd have to ask Robin when, if, they got back to the Sunny.

It had become and if, hadn't it. Not a when. He didn't know when he'd get out of here. He didn't know if he could. Zoro was trapped, probably dangerously injured, and Sanji had no way to help him. He was pulled from his thoughts as Shoda pushed him towards the bed. Sanji dreaded every damn moment he had to go along with this, but he seemed to have no other choice. And if he couldn't come up with anything, it was up to the crew to rescue him.

"I'll let you rest for now, but later, the fun will start," Shoda whispered in his ear.

Sanji's body gave an involuntary shiver, but he nodded. He gripped at his own arm, digging his nails into the flesh. He'd bruise it for sure, but he couldn't care less. Shoda stepped away from him and Sanji watched as he left. His hands flew to the necklace the moment the door clicked shut and he fell to his knees by the bed. A sob build up in his chest and he clutched the Sapphire stone in his hand, wondering if Zoro could feel his sorrows through it.

He only hoped they could get out of this mess unscathed.

**o-o-o**

Zoro's head lifted as he heard the door open and footsteps made their way in. His Haki told him that it was Shoda, and he had a lingering presence of Sanji around him. Zoro snarled through the gag and shifted, rattling the chains around him. There was a quiet murmur and then the door was closed.

"You're blondie has given up already, just to save your skin, Roronoa," Shoda muttered into the dark.

Zoro snarled at him, searching for his presence in the room as it had suddenly spread everywhere. A hand suddenly gripped his hair in a bruising manner and yanked his head up. He growled, but cut if off instantly as he felt the head of a gun pressed against the underside of his jaw. He swallowed. Shoda was planning something, but he didn't know what it was just yet.

"I must say that you were very clever to give him the pendant. I can't take it off, only he or you yourself can do that. I see you have one, too," Shoda murmured, fingering Zoro's necklace with the hand that had held up his hair.

Zoro growled, yanking his head out of the man's grip. Shoda pulled the gag from his mouth and Zoro coughed a bit, swallowing the overflowing saliva that had been soaking the cloth.

"You bastard, what did you do to Sanji!" he rasped, throat suddenly dry.

Zoro dreaded the answer, but judging by the hum Shoda gave, he'd done nothing yet. That was good, Sanji could still get out of this absolute nightmare with his dignity intact.

"I made a deal with him," Shoda started. "If I promised not to kill you, he would do whatever I wanted to. He was very persistent, bribing me and promising me things."

Zoro scoffed, like he'd believe that Sanji had won this man's trust or something. "Yeah, right," he snorted.

His head snapped to the side as the gun smacked him across the face. Zoro tasted blood and spit it out, hoping that he hit Shoda. Judging by the disgusted sound that came from the man's throat, he had. He smirked in victory. He was sure as hell not gonna sit here and do nothing. He'd put up a fight even if it killed him.

"But you know," the Captain continued.

There was a sinister edge to his voice that set Zoro's alarm bells ringing. He swallowed once, twice, in sudden fear. This was bad, whatever was going to happen next was not going to be good. The hand that held his pendant pulled away and gripped his jaw, forcing his mouth open. Zoro protested, but it didn't matter, somehow, Shoda was stronger than he was.

"I lied," came the whisper in his ear.

Zoro's eye widened beneath the blindfold and he struggled to get out of the man's grip. The gun was forced into his mouth and Zoro felt panic rising within him. The cold metal clacked on his teeth and he chocked as the barrel was forced deeper. He was sure he looked like some needy whore with a dick in his mouth, but in this instant, it was a gun.

"Goodbye, Roronoa."

Zoro's fears spiked, and suddenly, he felt a heartbreaking sorrow shoot through him from within the Jade around his neck. And just like that, the world slowed down, his panic rose to a high and a laugh rang out through the room.

The sound of a gunshot was the last thing Zoro heard before his thought process was abruptly cut off.


	9. Chapter 9, The Power of Gems

**Here you go, another chapter. I hope I didn't scare you all with the last. Have fun!**

**~Rebecca**

* * *

**Chapter 9, The Power of Gems**

The gem around his neck grew immensely cold in the span of a few seconds. Sanji jerked back in fright, away from the bed he had been crying on. He looked down at the jewel and frowned at it's cold attitude. There's something very wrong. Sanji had heard, on the island, that the gems showed the feelings of their counterpart. With a frown, the Chef rubbed his finger over the gem, expecting to feel Zoro's life force pumping into his finger.

There's absolutely nothing but freezing cold.

Weird, Sanji was sure it had been softly humming against his skin only a minute ago. It was stone cold to the touch and no humming came from it. Slowly, he let it fall back onto his chest. Sanji's eyes were wide, tears leaking from them even though he didn't know why. Sanji wiped at his eyes furiously. It wasn't, it couldn't be. He had to believe in Zoro. Shoda promised him. He'd promised. He'd fucking promised he wouldn't hurt Zoro and now look what that got him!

Sanji abruptly sat up and kicked against the nearest thing. The wardrobe with dresses went flying against the wall, splintering to pieces. The Cook kicked at the wall next, socked feet denting it even though he wasn't wearing his steel toed boots. He felt a crack, and as he looked, a wave of – _somethin_g – left his body in his rage, the wall cracking into splintered wood.

Sanji didn't care what it was, couldn't care as his mind was preoccupied with screaming. He screamed till his throat was raw and until the tears clogged his throat. Only then did he fall to the floor in a pathetic heap of emotions and fragileness. He curled in on himself, hating himself for the situation.

"You liar," he grit out.

He cursed Shoda until he couldn't come up with any more hells for him to life in. He'd wished for him to be send to Kamabakka kingdom if that was what it took. Iva-san would probably just kill the one who 'ruined my candy-boy's future!' anyway. Not that he minded.

His life was over. The one person he truly loved was gone and he didn't even get to marry the bastard. He loved Zoro so much it actually hurt to have his heart torn from his chest and he howled once more in agony. Shoda had lied to him, and he would pay. The one thing he cherished was taken from him and the person who had done that would suffer by his hands. He swore on it.

Sanji hiccupped, clutching at the Sapphire and praying over and over again, hoping that it was all a dream.

Of course, he didn't wake up, but something else happened that gave him a tiny bit of hope. Suddenly, the gem in his hand grew a little warmer, and Sanji couldn't believe it as it suddenly produced a bright light. He had to shield his eyes from it with both his hands and squeezed them shut anyway. When he looked again, there were two gems around his neck. One was blue, and one was green.

He immediately recognized it as Zoro's Jade. It had his sheen to it, that mossy color. Sanji couldn't help but smile. He wondered if this was what happened when one of them- No, he wouldn't admit to it just yet. He had to hope, dream.

The gem felt warm to the touch and as Sanji concentrated, he felt thrumming under his fingers. It was a little weak and perhaps a bit too slow, but it was a heartbeat. Sanji's eyes widened and a smile crept onto his face. He didn't know what happened, but Zoro was still alive!

Instantly, Sanji had a great idea. If the gems read their vitals, it could help the crew! Sanji hastily stood up, hoping to God he was right. He also hoped Zoro was indeed alive and that it wasn't a trick being played by his mind. He trotted to the window and swung it open, salty ocean spray hitting him in the face. Sanji ignored it and used the last of his energy to summon a bit of his Devil Fruit. With effort that had his knees trembling he transformed his vocal cords into those of a mermaid. It had him shaking and his neck burning in pain, but he'd done it. He unclipped his necklace and screamed out over the waters to any fish that would hear him.

His legs gave out right then and he crashed to the floor. Sanji panted, he'd lost all his energy and couldn't even get up again. He was doomed, he couldn't give the necklace to a fish like this. A sudden flapping sound made him aware that a news coo had flown into the room. The bird landed in front of him and produced a piece of white paper, a pen and a very small box.

Sanji's eyed the bird for a second, before understanding that his Devil Fruit had accommodated for every damned animal. The bird had heard him, and was going to deliver his message. Sanji smiled gratefully and picked up the pen. He quickly wrote a small note to his crew and had a sense of déjà vu. It was kinda funny actually. Sanji smiled, memories fondly in his head. He gave the pen back to the bird and pushed the note inside the cylinder box, together with both necklaces.

"Please take these to the Straw Hat Pirates," he mumbled to the bird.

The bird chirped, looked at him as if judging him and took off into the sky. Sanji could only smile once more before exhaustion took over and his head smacked onto the floor, but he didn't feel it.

_(Please help.)  
(Taskuketekudasai.)  
_助けてください。

_(Shoda is torturing Zoro, he killed him.)  
(Shoda wa Zoro o gomon shi, kare o koroshita.)  
_正田はゾロを拷問し、彼を殺した。

_(I can't do this.)  
(Dekimasen.)  
_できません。

_(Help.)  
(Tasukete.)  
_助けて。

_(Sanji._)  
サンジ。

**o-o-o**

The scream tore through the ship and a few Soldiers stiffened. They glanced fearfully at each other as the scream died down. It had been going on like this for a minute or so. One of the Soldiers dared to grab his Snail phone and called the Captain.

"Boss, your, uh- your wife is screaming, sir," he said.

A crackling sound came from the other end of the line and a 'roger' was all that was said before the Captain hung up. The Soldier sighed in relief and grinned ruefully at his companions. They smiled as well, until a wave of energy hit them and the first Soldier watched as the other two crumpled to the ground. He yelped in surprise and felt his knees go weak. He stared in surprise, vision blurry.

"Oh," he said. "Conquerors Haki."

Then he fell over, unconscious.

It wasn't long before the Captain came running, having also experienced the Haki burst. He quickly looked over the Soldiers, relieved that they were alright. He made a call for other's to come get them. He'd deal with that later, but first, Annabeth.

He opened the door to the room only to have his eyes widen. The window was open, and for only a second he wondered if she'd climbed out to drown herself. That was not the case, luckily. He spotted her under the window, passed out. Her neck was empty of the necklace and Shoda wondered if she'd gotten rid of it. He walked over to her and frowned as he saw that her neck looked a little red.

He squatted down and pulled the collar aside a little, jerking back as he found burned skin underneath. He growled, she'd used her powers, but for what he had no idea. It would be a mystery, until she told him herself. Shoda sighed and pushed his arms under her shoulders and knees, lifting her up and walking out the door towards the infirmary. He laid her on the bed and ordered a doctor to treat the burns.

It wasn't long before he took her back to the bedroom. She looked exhausted, he wondered why. He laid her down on the bed and in a swift motion, stripped her of her dress and socks. He only then noted the dent in the wall, spider cracks running up to the window. He frowned, what in the world had she been doing. It was obvious she still had a lot of kicking power. It was time to put an end to that. Shoda was going to make sure she wouldn't escape him. And he had the perfect hostage.

For now, though, he would let her sleep and once she woke up, she would be the perfect wife. He'd make her do whatever she wanted, and when he was ready, he would indulge in his prize in the ways that he had been keeping from himself. He'd make his last wish a reality, like he'd promised on his wife's grave.

It wouldn't be long now, before he had a descendant that would carry on his legacy.

**o-o-o**

Not too far from the ship, up above in the sky, was the news coo Sanji had given the gems to. Truth be told, the bird was very worried about the blonde haired woman he had seen. She had looked rather exhausted to be fair. With grim determination, the gull decided that he would absolutely deliver the woman's message to the Straw Hat Pirates, even if he died trying.

It may have been a difficult task for one such as the gull, but he wouldn't let up. Through storms he flew, through sunshine, and once through snow. It was horrible, but the package he carried was kept safe and dry. He would make sure that woman was helped.

_"Where are you going?"_ a voice asked.

The gull looked sideways to see another news coo flying beside him. He sighed in relief, lucky that it hadn't been something dangerous.

_"I must deliver this package to the Straw Hat Pirates, it is important," _he replied.

The other gull nodded and kept up the pace as he accompanied his friend towards the pirate ship. It was a long journey and the first bird wondered why the ships were so far apart when one of their own was kidnapped. They only received the answer as they touched down on the ship, shocked to see the entire crew passed out on the deck.

A woman with red hair lay sideways on the deck, in her hand a blue baton. A woman with dark hair was leaning against the railing, head limply lolling onto her chest. A raccoon dog was sprawled in the middle of the grass beside a man with a long nose. A robot like man and a skeleton were piled on each other, snoring away in the sun. And lastly, the boy wearing the straw hat was tied around the mast with his own limbs.

The second gull burst out in laughter and flapped his wings a few times. He called out a success to his friend and left him to his job, he had newspapers to deliver. The first bird sighed, how was he going to deliver the message when all of them were passed out. He had to think of something. He decided to do the first thing that came up in his head, and so he pecked the raccoon dog in the face.

The animal shot up with a shout, alarming the others into a state of awareness as well. The raccoon dog whipped his head to the gull and frowned.

"Who are you? Where are we?" he asked.

_"You are on your ship, I'm just a news coo that has a message for you," _the bird replied, setting down the cylinder box with the message and the gems in it. _"Goodbye," _he said and took to the skies.

Chopper watched the bird fly away with a frown, then he looked down on the cylinder. What was the message. He picked it up and looked around at the crew. How long had they been sleeping? Where were Zoro and Sanji?

"What is that, Chopper?" Ussop questioned.

Chopper opened the cap of the cylinder and plucked the paper out. "It's a message. The bird said it was for us," he said.

He made his way over to Nami and gave her the box and the paper. She frowned, but took them, looking over the paper. The crew watched in silence as Nami's face went from confused to horrified in the span of a second. She dropped the box from her lax grip and stared, terrified.

"Th-that's not possible," she murmured.

"What is?" Chopper asked, interested in the message. He picked up the box she had dropped and looked inside, only to gasp at what he found. "Their jewels!" he exclaimed, tugging them out the box.

He held them up for the crew to see, and only then did Chopper notice the faint glow of the Jade, which was rapidly fading. He shrieked and held onto it with his hoofs, wondering what it meant. The gem was thrumming beneath his hoofs, like a heartbeat, only it slowed every second.

"Oh no!" he exclaimed.

Beside him, Nami had fallen to her knees, the paper drifting down to lay beside her. Luffy stalked up to the paper, but Robin was there first and read it out loud for everyone to hear. Their faces paled and they looked at Chopper for conformation.

"It's fading," he whispered.

"What is?" Ussop asked.

"Zoro's heartbeat," Chopper replied in horror. "He's dying."

"But Sanji said that Shoda killed him, how can he still be alive then and dying?" Nami exclaimed in sudden rage, fists balled at her side.

"I don't know," Chopper replied. "OH!" he then said.

The crew waited patiently for him to say something and the young doctor was silent for a good while. He concentrated on the gem, and felt it as the life drained from it, then returned full force very suddenly.

"Something is wrong with him, Sanji seems fine, judging by the gem. But Zoro was dead not five seconds ago. Someone brought him back to live!" Chopper said.

"How is that possible?" Luffy grumbled.

"I don't know, but we have to save them!" Chopper yelped. "Right now, if this goes on longer it could have an effect on them that could end badly!"

Luffy nodded and stood straight, hat shadowing his eyes. He was livid, the crew could sense it. They had no doubt that Shoda was going to be begging for his life when the Captain was done with him.

"Let's go, you guys. Sanji needs us, and Zoro too," he said.

"YEAH!" the crew yelled out in response.

**o-o-o**

**Somewhere on the Grand Line**

A certain Surgeon of Death stopped dead in his tracks. His sword clattered to the floor as he gasped for air. Behind him, Shachi and Penguin were suddenly very pale. The Captain's legs buckled and the both of them quickly sped forward to catch him.

"Captain!" they yelped out in distress.

Law grabbed onto one of their arms, his breath ragged as he tried to control his swimming head. He felt nauseous, like he'd lost too much blood. He took in a gulp of air and coughed once. His whole body shivered and he felt like he was going to pass out any second.

"Captain what happened?" suddenly there were multiple voices.

Law pried his eyes open to look at his men, and with a groan, he tried to stand. It didn't work, his legs were too weak and they buckled under his weight. Shachi and Penguin held him up and Law felt a little grateful.

"Someone... Is playing with a life... I can feel it..." he grit out.

Shachi and Penguin looked at each other worriedly. Their Captain had never been able to sense such things. They wondered who it was.

"Can you tell who it is?" they asked.

Law shook his head slowly. He only knew their general location, and where they belonged. "No, but I do know that the Straw Hats are in need of our assistance. Set a course towards their ship immediately," he ordered.

The people behind him agreed and ran off to do their duties. Strong arms surrounded law's body and he was lifted up by Bepo. The bear cuddled him close and Law sighed in comfort. Why was someone playing with a life of the Straw Hats. How had they even managed that. Something was off, why was he able to feel this?

Law felt a little sick realizing that he could sense people dying, but not as revolted as he would have thought. He was a doctor after all, and lots of people died when he was doing something. But this wasn't so simple. He wanted to know what was going on, he needed this feeling gone, or else he would absolutely go insane. He wanted to prevent people's death for the most part, except his enemies of course, but certainly not his allies. They were supposed to stay alive until the end.

Bepo carried him off, placing him in his own bed and staying with him until law fell asleep. He needed the nap more than anything. Perhaps it had to do with his lack of sleep the last few days. Something was coming, something bad, he could feel it. What it was, he didn't know. Was it dangerous? Hell yes.

For him and for his alliance. He had to warn them, even if he didn't know what the danger was. He had to help them, warn them, fight with them. Something was going to shift the world, and he felt it coming like a giant storm inside of him.

"Bepo..." he groaned.

"Yes, Captain?" Bepo asked.

"Something bad is gonna happen."

Bepo smiled a bit. "Something bad always happens when we're dealing with the Straw Hats."

Law couldn't help the scoff and the rolling of his eyes. A small smile crept onto his face and he sighed.

"Of course, that's what Mugiwara-ya brings with him, bearing the name of D... Just like myself."


	10. Chapter 10, A Way Out

**Hey guys! It took a little longer to fix my laptop, but here you all go! A new chapter!**

**~Rebecca**

* * *

**Chapter 10, A Way Out**

His eye opened terribly slowly and a pounding behind his eye made him groan in pain. He blinked a few times, trying to get a more clear view of the room. Above him hung a strange contraption with several needles poking inwards. It had him cringing, then flinching as his head pounded with pain. He attempted to lift a hand to rub at his temple, but found that there was little movement. Glancing down, he saw that he was strapped down on a metal table. There were leather straps over his wrists, ankles, waist and one over his throat, the scratchy fabric rubbing at his Adam's Apple.

Zoro swallowed. He was confused for a moment. He was sure Shoda shot him in the head, how was he still alive. Never mind that, he was glad to be alive. He still had a chance to become the Greatest Swordsman and get Sanji out of here. Perhaps not in that order though. There was something sinister though, about this place. The room was white and had a infirmary look. Zoro didn't like it and wanted to get out of there as fast as humanly possible.

"I see you're awake," a obnoxiously familiar voice said.

Zoro turned his head to the side and blinked as a light flicked on. It shone directly into his face and he groaned as spots filled his vision. His head hurt, as well as his jaw.

"You must be wondering why you're alive, Roronoa," Shoda murmured, running a hand down Zoro's side.

Zoro wanted to jerk away, but he was strapped down, and thus useless. He growled at Shoda and desperately wished for the man to remove his hand from his side. Only Sanji was allowed to touch him there. It was sending shivers up Zoro's spine as Shoda ran his hand up, and then pulled away.

"I did kill you, you know," the man said suddenly. "But as I studied the human body, I discovered that the human brain will live up to eight minutes after the initial death. You were dead, but not your brain. I had one of my officer reverse your condition, all the way. And see here, you are alive again."

Zoro's head was still pounding, and he wondered if he had a large scar on the inside of his mouth or something, but it hurt. He glared at Shoda for a moment, before the man turned away from him and stepped out of his field of vision.

"Your body does contain the damage of the bullet though. It's only sped up the damage so that you can now feel it. Your dead body would not and because you are not dead, you do."

Zoro felt a sudden fire burn in his throat and he cried out in pain, arching his back of the bed. He could just see Shoda's smirking face in the edges of his vision. His jaw hurt a lot and the back of his head felt like it was torn open.

"My Devil Fruit allows me to amp the amount of pain something has given you. If I punch you, I could amp up the power so it feels as if a Sea King has plowed into you. I can also speed up the process of anything I inflict on you. If I refuse to give you any food, I can let you starve in just under a day. I can age you, do anything I want to you. You'll be begging me for death, Roronoa, begging…" Shoda declared with a few moves of his arms to show he meant it.

Zoro could feel it. He could feel the bullet pierce the back of his head and it _hurt_. It hurt, oh God, it was painful. He grit his teeth to keep from crying out. He wondered if Shoda was right, if he was going to be begging Shoda to kill him. Then his resolve steeled itself and he knew that was a cowards way out. He would dishonor his promise to his Captain, to Kuina, to Sanji and to all others he had promised. And most of all himself.

"I-" he began. "I will never beg for my life, that's a cowards way out."

Shoda seemed respectful of that, but Zoro doubted it. He was glad that the pain was fading though. But his happy moment was disrupted as Shoda grabbed onto the contraption above his head and placed the needles against this temple.

"What are you-"

His question was cut off as the machine came to life. He only had a moment to widen his eye before a scream flew through the room. He only realized it was his own as his vision went dark.

**o-o-o**

Shoda was not happy. His wife had been sleeping for a week now, and the only one to keep him company was that accursed Swordsman that he was killing every day. And bringing back to life. He'd started with the needles, piercing the man's head until they reached his brain and shot his nerves, killing him instantly. He was not satisfied with this. He wanted Roronoa to suffer.

And suffer he had. Shoda had starved him in a cell, chained him to the wall and sped up his situation until he died again. He'd cut him up with a knife, enjoying his screams of anguish. A few Marines had looked at him with terror in their eyes, but he didn't care. He had also beaten the man to death already, but Roronoa's stubborn face – split lip, busted eye, broken jaw and bleeding temple – was etched into his vision, taunting him forever.

Shoda was not happy. Very much so. He hated Roronoa for stealing his wife and marrying him, but he also knew that if the marriage was complete, he could not touch Annabeth in any way that could be intimate. He knew that was not the case, he could touch her just fine. So they hadn't been married properly and he still had a chance.

Shoda had vowed to kill Roronoa as many times as it took, and he would. He had just decided to do it one more time before leaving him dead. He had poisoned the man by sliding a knife along his bicep and pushing the tip into his flesh. Zoro had hissed, but otherwise had not done anything from his kneeled and chained down position. A few seconds later had the man writhing on the ground in pain and cursing Shoda's name to the heavens. A few more minutes later, and Shoda enjoying his suffering, and then Roronoa Zoro was no more.

He'd left, telling the men to guard the room anyway. He left, going to his own quarters to visit his comatose wife. It appeared that Shoda had not yet figured out that Annabeth needed food and sleep to replenish his energy. The man was infuriated that she had been sleeping so long, and he was done. He would have her now. Right now.

Down into the ship he went, into his room and flicking the lights on. To his surprise, Annabeth was sitting upright in the bed, eyes wide and staring at him. A feral smile grew on his face and he advanced on her, discarding his coat and t-shirt. Annabeth's eyes went wide and she scooted back onto the bed. He was on her in an instant, trapping her on the matrass. She let out a cry of fear, but his ears were deaf to everything. He could only hear the echoes in his head of what she used to sound like. What she used to look like, what she used to act like. He tore at her nightgown. Tore it to shreds and exposed her bosom to his eyes. She shrieked, but again, he did not hear.

Her weak arms were pushing him away, but he kept on her, kissing her to an inch of her life and getting his hands on all her exposed flesh he could find. Her underwear followed the nightgown, sailing through the room to land next to the dresser. She was resisting him, pushing him away and shouting at him. He ignored her and began to unbuckle his belt when a knock sounded on the door.

"What?" he demanded.

"Uh, Sir. Vice-Admiral Smoker has boarded our ship and demands to speak with you," a voice answered.

"Tell him I'm busy," Shoda shot back.

It wouldn't be, it seemed. Shoda was apparently doomed to have his wife again and he was interrupted again when the door blew out of it's hinges. Annabeth dove off the bed, hiding her nakedness behind her hands. Shoda sat up and looked behind him, where an angered Vice-Admiral Smoker stood.

"What do you think you're doing, Kuroda. You have no right to do this to your captives," Smoker rumbled.

Shoda saw his eyes flick to Annabeth, but he ignored it in favor of asking what the man meant with a cock of his head. He wanted to go back to what he was doing.

"You will be stripped of your rank, we are not pirates or murderers. We are Marines. You will not torture a Pirate to death on our ships. Do you understand?" Smoker rumbled as he walked towards Annabeth. "And we will not have slaves!" he exclaimed, ripping off the collar.

Shoda's eyes widened and he let out an enraged roar. A few officers came to secure him as Smoker's eyes widened from what he was witnessing.

Before him sat one blonde man with a worn out complexion, looking at him with a smile.

"B-Blackleg?" the White Hunter stuttered.

A few pair of boots ran into the room and a blanket was thrown over the man's naked body.

"Is that really Sanji-bro?" one of the men asked.

"Looks like him," another said.

"S-Smoker," the blonde man grit out.

The Vice-Admiral bend down to listen to what the Pirate had to say.

"Z-Zoro, is he okay?" he asked.

Smoker only nodded, and when the Cook saw it, he smiled gratefully before his eyes rolled back and he fell limply to the floor.

"NO! What have you done to my Annabeth!" Shoda cried, wrestling himself free from the officers.

Smoker held out a hand and smoke encased Shoda's body, trapping him in place. The man sent him a dangerous glare and Shoda could not believe it, but his will to fight was snuffed out in an instant. He would only stay there, trapped, as he watched G-5 take his beloved wife and his dreams all in one fell swoop.

"Take him out, take him to Roronoa. They apparently need each other. I'll deal with this scum," Smoker ordered.

His men did as told and Shoda sank to the ground in a hopeless mess of discarded dreams. He stared blankly ahead of himself. Wondered how this could have happened and kicked himself mentally. Now he was a goner, he was sure of it. Smoker would strip him of his rank and he would be kicked out of the Marines. What kind of a life did he have after this? None…

"Give me a Transponder Snail," Smoker said.

He was handed one and to the surprise of all present, dialed the Straw Hat Pirates.

"Hello? My name is Monkey D Luffy!" a voice said.

Smoker was about to open his mouth when another voice interrupted him.

"Straw Hat-ya! That's not how you pick up a damn call!"

Smoker shook his head and continued with the message. "Straw Hat, I have your Cook and Swordsman, come collect them after you kick this guys ass."

A long silence responded his message and he was about to hang up when Luffy asked him something.

"Are they… Do they still have a future?"

His voice was timid, but serious. Smoker could now see what the Swordsman saw in him and why people believed he would become the Pirate King. He had to admit, the kid had grown on him.

He answered simple, "They're with us, of course."

Then he hung up, his gaze fixed on Shoda. The man was a coward, but would fight Straw Hat with all he was worth. His men, though, they were innocent and he needed them to keep Roronoa alive. He was in no condition to travel or anything else for that matter.

It may be a weird way out of their situation, but Smoker didn't wish for them to be here. He'd responded to the call only because he still owed the Straw Hats. Now they were in no debt and he could do whatever he wished when this ordeal was over with. The Straw Hat's deserved a chance like this. And it wasn't like anyone was going to tell Headquarters about it anyway, they were too loyal to him.

He only hoped he was making the right decision. With a last look at Shoda, he ordered his men to get everyone off the ship and left the man alone in the room, slamming the door behind him.

**o-o-o**

Zoro's eye opened again to see a mop of blonde hair in his vision. At first he was confused, but as he ran his fingers through it, and the person stirred, he knew that he wasn't dreaming. Sanji was safe, and somehow, he was too. He wondered if Officer Maron had brought him back to life. He knew it was so, for he still felt the effects of the poison coursing through his body. He was weak, very weak. His strength alone left him as his hand fell limply on top of Sanji's head and he sighed. His energy was spend for the day.

Sanji's head shot up a second later and he locked eyes with Zoro. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he spotted the man awake and well.

"You alright?" Sanji dared to ask.

Zoro simply nodded once, there was nothing more he could do. "Still sore though. Where are we?" he asked, inching his hand to Sanji again.

Sanji took his hand and kissed the top gently. "We're on a Marine vessel. G-5 saved us from Shoda. Smoker is gonna take us back to Luffy," he said.

Zoro gave a slow smile, but he was exhausted. "That's nice. I'm gonna sleep now," he declared with a yawn.

Sanji nodded and rose up. Zoro only registered a faint touch to his lips before he slipped into darkness again. This time, the darkness wouldn't last forever, and when he awoke, he would see his beautiful angel at his bedside, never to leave him again.


	11. Chapter 11, Never A Dull Moment With You

**Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. Here's another chapter. I had a bit of writers block and was busy with school and other things. I'm about ready to explode over here. Anyway, i'm gonna be 17 wednesday and I cannot wait. I'm gonna get a camera and it'll be awesome. And my sis is making me something. I don't know what though. If you're all interested in the photos I make, this is my instagram account on which I post them: _camera . click . and . go_ Go follow me! It's uh, there's no space bar between the points and the words. But otherwise it won't let me write it. So yeah.**

**Anyway, have fun and enjoy the chapter!**

**~Rebecca**

* * *

**Chapter 11, Never A Dull Moment With You**

_Four days earlier._

Bepo quietly entered the Captain's cabin and sat down in the chair next to Law's bed. The Captain had been going in and out of consciousness for a while now. Whatever was doing this to him, it was worse than before. Bepo idly wondered if someone was playing with them. Maybe it was that guy messing with the Straw Hats, otherwise, he wouldn't know. Law had been very strict, saying they needed to find Straw Hat-ya immediately.

Bepo looked down on his feverish Captain and pulled a cold rag out of the bowl next to the bed. He laid it over Law's head, sighing heavily. It was hard work, caring for their Captain. Law had always been a little self-destructive. Wouldn't sleep, wouldn't eat, wouldn't do anything but work on his research or do stupid stuff.

Bepo startled when Law's hand landed on his arm, shaking him from his thoughts. He looked over to see his Captain giving a small smile.

"We've arrived," he murmured, before falling asleep again.

Bepo blanched for a second, then shot out of the chair and raced towards the command center of their ship to make it rise out of the water. The Polar Tang groaned and moaned, but surfaced anyway to come face to face with the Thousand Sunny. Bepo commanded all the others to make sure they were safe to go outside and then secure the ship to theirs.

When Bepo came outside, he was met with a few stern faces and concerned ones. Luffy's face was the most worried one. It was no secret that he held some feelings for the Captain. Bepo kinda liked that the kid could make their Captain irritated and still get away with it.

"What happened? We weren't supposed to meet with you all yet," Luffy declared.

Bepo scratched at his nape and sighed. "Captain's not feeling good. He said it had to do with all of you," he said.

Luffy's eyes darkened and he walked forward, opening the door and disappearing inside the Polar Tang. His crewmates watched him go, curious looks on their faces. Only then did Bepo notice that the other two of the Monster Trio were not present. He cocked his head to the side and frowned.

"Where are your crewmates?" he asked, intrigued.

The red head balled her fist and said, "Some Marine Captain took them, I think we know what's happening to your Captain. It has to do with Zoro and Sanji. Sanji sent us a letter saying Zoro was being tortured."

Bepo was slightly taken aback. Who could have caught those two. It must be someone stupid or very clever.

"Shoda totally wanted Sanji only because of his Devil Fruit," the long nosed man piped in, crossing his arms over his chest and looking rather angry.

Bepo frowned, "Your Cook has a Devil Fruit?"

The red head nodded. "Yeah, the Karada Karada No Mi. He was forced to eat it. But it kinda helped them escape as well. He can do anything with his body now. It's quite handy."

The black haired woman, Robin; Bepo remembered, agreed with a nod of her head. "It also seems that Swordsman-san has taken quite a liking to Cook-san now that he can transform into a girl," she said mischievously.

The red heads face blew up in a crimson blush and she turned to scold the older woman for saying that so casually. It appeared that it was no longer a secret that the two rivals had fallen hard for each other. Bepo quirked a smile at the thought. They'd always been at each other's throats, it was a good sign to hear they got along.

"I guess you're on your way to help them?" Bepo questioned.

Nami nodded her head and laid out their plan for him and his crew. It wasn't that much of a plan really, they'd just storm the ship and get away after Luffy kicked Shoda's ass. But it made Bepo smile that the red head tried to formulate a plan around that fact. Is was hard working with a Captain that was rather stupid. He knew this all too well. Law's plan's had often been stupid, but worked very well for them.

He only hoped the plans they made would help them now. He'd felt Straw Hats rage when he looked at him, and his demeanor had been quiet and calm. A silence before the storm. It was actually really weird to see him like that, Bepo realized.

"Hey," Shachi picked his attention with a wave and motioned to the door.

Bepo turned to see Luffy walking out with Law hanging off his shoulder. He looked exhausted and was blinking rapidly against the sun's light. His feet were draggin a little and he stumbled, but Luffy kept him upright with a worried expression.

"Torao!" the Straw Hat crew yelped as they saw his sorry state.

Law rolled his eyes at them and Bepo was at his side to help him. Law leaned on him as Luffy let go. He scanned the crew and noted the same that Bepo had before. Sanji and Zoro were gone.

"I knew something was up. What happened?" Law said tiredly.

Luffy growled. "Shoda kidnapped them."

Law shivered. "Shoda?" he pressed.

Luffy nodded his head, his hat shading his eyes. Bepo knew he was angry, and judging by how Law was suddenly shivering, it couldn't be good.

"You mean Captain Kuroda?" Law said quietly.

The crew grew silent as Law said that. They looked at him in question and raised their brows. Luffy seemed to understand what was going on and threw his hands up in the air with a defeated sigh. Then he took off, back to his own ship. Bepo reasoned he was going to punch something to still his rage. He was right when a moment later, one of the weight in the crow's nest went sailing out the window and landed in the ocean.

"He's a real piece of work, that guy," Law said, not disturbed by Luffy in any way. "I was once captured by him. He likes to torture his captors, kinda like me. He's not right in the head and I could feel it then. I can feel it now, stronger than before. It actually hurts me when he does something to a person. And probably more because I am connected to you on a fundamental level."

Nami seemed to agree with this and Bepo turned out the rest of the conversation. He didn't know what they were talking about anyway. It was all complicated planning and talk about Devil Fruit's anyway.

"Bepo," Law murmured.

"Yes Captain?" Bepo replied, looking down on his sick friend.

Law looked up at him with a small smile. "I'll be going with the Straw Hats. I want you and the crew to wait up on us on Baltigo. You know how to get there, right?" the man asked.

Bepo really wanted to stay with his Captain, but knew it was no use to argue with him. He only nodded and made sure law got on the Sunny safely. He brought his Captain's sword to him and made sure he got whatever he needed for a journey together with the craziest crew on the Grand Line.

"I'll see you there," Law told him as they took off.

Bepo could only nod, watching as his Captain took off again. It hadn't been long since they'd made it out of Wano, and he wanted his Captain back already. He didn't like it when they were separated. None of them did. Bepo looked to his side to see Penguin and Shachi standing beside him with worried faces.

"Let's go," he muttered.

The two of them nodded and he led them inside, closing the door behind him with a slam.

**o-o-o**

Chopper could only blink as he saw Law's state of health. The man had immensely dark circles around his eyes and he was leaning heavily against the railing of the ship. He looked like he was about to collapse from the effort of standing. The young Doctor decided that Law was in need of a seat and thus brought him a lawn chair and a cup of water.

Law's face was thunder, but he accepted it with a small nod. As he set down, he let out a small groan and Chopper wondered what was wrong with him. He could feel Luffy's eyes on them, boring into his back and watching Law for any sign of discomfort.

"What happened?" Chopper dared to ask.

Law rolled his eyes and leaned back, sword resting on his knee. "Kuroda's Devil Fruit and mine clash. It's because mine is for saving lives and his is for destroying. The users have always sensed each other, but could never feel the effect unless it had to do with someone I had direct contact with. In this case it means-"

Law was cut off by a gasp and he clutched at his chest. His cup went sailing over the deck and the water splashed out. It alerted the rest of the crew and Chopper was on him in an instant. Nothing seemed physically wrong with him, but his breathing had sped up and he was positively writhing on the chair. His hands were grasping his chest harshly, but no relief seemed to come.

After a few minutes, Law relaxed and he pried his eyes open to look at the Straw Hat crew. Chopper handed him another cup of water and the Surgeon downed it in one go.

"Ow…" Law muttered.

A smile cracked over Choppers face and he heard Nami giggle softly. Though Chopper was terribly worried about the other Doctor, he could appreciate it that Law was still able to joke around. If only slightly.

"You alright?" Luffy asked softly.

Law slowly nodded and set the cup down. "I can feel damage inflicted by that man. Which means, fuck…" he took a slow breath and continued, "That he is cutting up your friend. Knives don't feel all that good on the skin."

They all paled a little. Law groaned again and sucked in a breath, but it was ignored in favor of taking in what he had just said. Law could actually feel what Shoda was doing to Zoro. Chopper was amazed, and horrified at the same time.

"Are you alright now?" Chopper asked warily.

Law nodded warily and laid himself back against the chair. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes for a moment. A shuffle caught his attention and Chopper looked over to see Luffy biting his lip.

"What is it, Luffy?" Chopper asked, concerned for his Captain.

Luffy almost never looked like that, so something was definitely wrong. What it could be, Chopper had no idea. He did want to know though, for Luffy looked up with a sheepish smile and rubbed at his neck.

"I think I forgot something," he chuckled.

**o-o-o**

_Present_

Sanji worried his lip between his teeth, wondering if what he had just taught of had really happened. It would be such a stupid mistake and only one his Captain could ever make. He glanced at Zoro, who was peacefully sleeping on the cot. His features where relaxed and at ease. He looked alright, for as far as Sanji could see.

The door opened and in walked Vice-Admiral Smoker with two cigars between his lips. Sanji rose a brow at his appearance, but didn't say anything.

"You alright?" the man asked, shooting him a glance.

Sanji nodded, and morphed into the form of a small, brown haired kid to sit on Zoro's bed. Smoker raised his eyebrows, intrigued.

"Where'd you get that Fruit?" he asked, pulling up a chair to sit on.

Sanji pulled a face. "Shoda fed it to me when we were captured a few weeks ago. He wanted me to transform into his wife, just like last time."

Smoker leaned back and puffed on his smoke with a thoughtful look on his face. "I just received word that Straw Hat is kicking ass. He'll be here in a bit. I'll make sure Headquarters never knows about this. I owe you guys."

Sanji nodded gratefully.

"Also, I got some info on that Devil Fruit of yours, if you want it."

The Cooks eyes lit up and he nodded quickly. "Yes, that would be great. Thanks," he said. "Oh, and thanks for saving us. You're a good person. I wish all Marines were like you, Smoker."

Smoker's face pulled into a grimace, "Don't flatter me, Pirate," he said grouchily.

The Vice-Admiral stood and pulled a stack of papers from behind his back. Sanji wasn't gonna guess where they came from and didn't care as he took the offered information within his tiny hands.

"Take good care of it," Smoker said.

Sanji bobbed his head up and down once and Smoker took his leave. He flipped through the papers and all the information that he already knew.

**_Devil Fruit:_**_ Karada Karada No Mi (Body Body Fruit)  
**Ability:** Transforms body into anything desired.  
**Weakness:** Sea Stone is the only weakness of this Devil fruit, sea water is useless.  
**Type:** Zoan  
**Powers:  
Human transformations:** Male, female, young, old, slender, fat, tall, short, small, big. Dark skin, fair skin.  
**Mermaid transformations:** Male, female, young, old, slender, fat, tall, short, small, big Dark skin, fair skin. Every color tail. Every type of Mermaid.  
**Fishman transformations:** Male, female, young, old, slender, fat, tall, short, small, big. Every color body. Every type of Fishman.  
**Animal transformations:** Every animal possible.  
**Other transformations:** It is possible to transform other people. It costs a lot of training and sometimes energy, but if you can, you can transform a person while touching them. You have to keep touching them for it to work. Anything goes. You can transform that person into anything you can transform yourself in. If you lose skin contact, the connection is broken and the person will revert to his or her normal appearance.  
**Extra transformation:** You can transform into any race you can think of, if you have seen it in real life or in a picture. You have to know how the body works a little to accomplish this. _

Sanji's eyes widened as he read through _Other transformations_. That could become something very fun, if Zoro was up for it. He glanced at the swordsman, wondering what he would look like as a girl. He imagined a slender body, curves and bouncy boobs, long swaying hair, or perhaps short and fluffy.

Sanji's cheeks heated, he should not be thinking off this with Zoro sleeping right there. Kinda weird. He shrugged himself and read on to store all the information in his head. So he could apparently become a giant, or someone like Pudding? Cool, but strange.

Zoro stirred next to him and he looked up from the paper to stare at the bleary eyed man.

"What're you doin'?" Zoro slurred slightly.

Sanji cracked a smile and transformed back to his original appearance. "Just reading up on my Devil Fruit. Wanna hear?" he asked with a grin.

Zoro rolled his eye, but nodded slowly, yawning. Sleepy tears gathered in his eye and he wiped at it with his hand, though his movement was sluggish and slow. Sanji smiled and ran his fingers over the top of Zoro's hand as he laid it back down.

"I love you," he said.

Zoro snorted. "Yeah, I know."

Sanji shook his head fondly and ruffled the papers to look for the interesting information. "Okay, here we go," he said. "It looks like I can transform other people by touching them, but it takes practice and I don't exactly know how. I can also do this," he stated.

He looked up at Zoro and grinned as whiskers whipped out of his cheeks to bounce down his face. Zoro's eye went wide as Sanji shrunk and then there was a cat sitting on his bed. He chuckled and caressed the soft fur of his lovers ears.

"You're a weird one, Cook," he mumbled.

Sanji purred as he was stroked and slid up next to Zoro to lay down by his side. Zoro rolled his eye, closed it, and was off to sleep within seconds. Sanji grinned, flicked his tail and got comfortable. It wouldn't be long before Luffy got there and they would be home. Then, Sanji thought, he could go and learn all of his new powers and try them out. Perhaps have some more steamy sex with Zoro like they'd almost had in the sauna. He was kinda curious.

He drifted off to sleep as well, gentle fingers raking through his fur from time to time. His dreams were pleasant and he felt a weird sense of peace well within him. He thought back to his question about Luffy. Had the idiot really forgotten to declare them man and Pirate? He wondered. He couldn't be sure until he asked Zoro or one of the crew. He did home the bird had gotten the jewels to the crew safely and they could have them back. He really wanted to be connected to Zoro like that.

He was a romantic at heart, so it was a dream for him to marry the love of his life. And All Blue of course. But that dream could wait just a moment more. A moment more to be floating in the peace and tranquility he felt.


	12. Chapter 12, You Can't Have Them!

**As you can all guess, the end of the story is... not near. I don't have any idea what to do yet, but I don't want to end it yet. If you have any ideas what our lovely couple could be doing next, review or send me a message! **

**Also, I don't have people beta reading, so there are always stupid mistakes. I hope you can forgive me!**

**Author-san out!**

**Rebecca**

* * *

**Chapter 12, You Can't Have Them!**

Zoro's eyes opened slowly, and he squinted against the light. Beside him lay a black cat, snuggled up to him. Zoro smiled and gently ran his hand through the fur on Sanji's back. The cat purred softly. It was a pleasant sound, and it lulled Zoro back to sleep.

**o-o-o**

"What?" Nami screeched. "You forgot to pronounce them married? But you said-" Nami feel quiet as she realized what Luffy had done.

_"You may now kiss the groom." _

The idiot, he hadn't pronounced them officially married. How stupid could he be. Nami sighed loudly and pressed her fingers to her palm. And he'd only realized it four days after he said that he forgot something, what an idiot.

"Well," Robin mused from behind her. "Now we can have a real wedding, with dresses and suits and a party afterwards."

Nami rolled her eyes, but the thought of Sanji in a wedding dress was quite attractive. She didn't really care if he chose to be a girl in the dress, that would be fine too. Zoro loved him either way.

"We have to go get them. Luffy, go beat that guy's ass so we can retrieve them from Smoker," Nami said to their idiot Captain.

Luffy nodded silently. Behind him, Nami saw Law smile a little. She was glad the Surgeon had decided to come along. He was a silent pillar of support for their irrational Captain. She wouldn't bet against them having their own wedding somewhere in the future. But it would be a whole lot different than what she had in mind. Luffy would of course just do what he pleased, and Law would have his plans ruined, but he'd love the Straw Hat anyway.

Nami breathed deeply for a moment and looked at the log pose. Nothing had happened to it since the last island, which was good. They were also still on course. Which was great. If this was the way the jewels led, then they'd be at the next island quickly.

"I see a ship!" Usopp's cry from the side of the ship was a slight relief for the crew.

Nami surged towards him, weapon at the ready. She snatched the telescope from his hands and peered through it. There was indeed a ship, and it was lying still. No men aboard it seemed.

"That's it," Nami told the others.

"Let me at him!" Luffy was screaming.

Nami looked at him to see Law holding him back. "Luffy-ya, wait!" he said. Then he grunted and let go, falling off the lawn chair.

Luffy stopped struggling immediately and knelt next to the Surgeon. "Torao?" he exclaimed.

Nami watched Chopper fuzz over Law's health, then turned back to see them closing in on the ship. It looked abandoned. Perhaps they had all gone with Smoker and left the Captain behind. That could be it, he was a cruel person after all. Nami wondered if he had been cruel to his own crew.

"I'm gonna kick his ass for hurting Torao," Luffy muttered behind her.

Nami turned to watch as he stood from beside the Surgeon. Law was growling and clawing at the deck, breaths heavy and ragged. He didn't look good.

"Where is he?" Luffy seethed.

"On the ship, dumbass," Nami murmured.

She lifted her telescope again and watched as the door to the hold opened, and a lone figure stumbled out. He looked defeated, depressed. Then, he seemed to notice them and he grew visibly angry.

"I think he's seen us," Nami told the others.

"Fuck!"

Law's voice was loud and Nami turned to look. She cringed as he coughed up blood, wondering how it was possible for him to hurt so much. If Shoda had done all this, then Luffy was not gonna show him any mercy. She looked at her Captain, seeing that his hat was shielding his eyes and she sighed. He was livid. She had expected no less from him. Shoda had hurt their Nakama and the person Luffy loved most.

"Let me at him!" Luffy said, cracking his fists.

Franky grinned from behind him and Brook laughed quietly. Nami shook her head, they were hyped for a fight. Luffy would hog it though. Perhaps they could destroy the ship afterwards.

"Sure, Straw Hat, go get him," Franky said.

"Is this a good idea?" Usopp wondered as he helped Law sit back on the lawn chair.

"Of course not," the Surgeon muttered. "But whose gonna stop him, mmh?" he questioned.

Usopp rolled his eyes, but his lips quirked in a smile. "Yeah, you got a point there. Hey Luffy! Kick his ass!" he hollered.

Luffy grew a scary grin on his face and took his hat from his head, placing it on Law's head, over his own beanie. "I will, don't worry," he said, perhaps more to Law than to any of them.

Nami smiled. This would be over in a jiffy. Shoda had no chance to defeat Luffy when he was protecting his family.

**o-o-o**

Luffy stepped onto the ship, cracking his knuckles. He eyed Shoda with disgust. That man had hurt his precious Nakama, whom he'd vowed he would never lose. But he did, he lost two of them. Both Sanji and Zoro had been lost to him. And now he was going to get his revenge.

"This is your fault," Shoda began, as he stepped out of the shadows, a maniacal look on his face.

"My fault?" Luffy growled in confusion.

Shoda nodded. "If only you had not gone to see this wouldn't have happened! I'll kill you!" he shouted.

Shoda shot from his place with surprising speed and Luffy lifted his arm to block a punch, then coated it in Haki as he felt how strong that punch was.

"You'll pay for what you did. Then I'll take back my Annabeth and kill that ungrateful mongrel she calls her lover!" Shoda screamed, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Luffy was put off by this and he snarled. "You can't have them!" he yelled back, whipping out his leg for a stamp and destroying half the deck in doing so.

Shoda jumped back, arm coated with Haki, and danced around the cracking wood. He advanced again, throwing punch after punch towards Luffy. The straw hat dodged, used a pistol move and backflipped out of Shoda's reach.

Luffy could hear his crew shouting in encouragement and he was determined to win this fight. He would protect his friends no matter what! Luffy stretched his arms behind him and prepared for a bazooka move when Shoda moved a hand in the air and clenched his fist.

Luffy's eyes widened and he yelped out as pain flared in his side. He looked at it and saw the scratch he'd gotten earlier in the fight had grown several times larger. He looked back at Shoda and saw that the man was grinning wickedly. So he had a Devil Fruit as well.

"Yes, Straw Hat. You realized it, didn't you. I can beat you easily! Now give up and die!" the Captain screamed.

Shoda charged at him, bare hands ready to choke the young Pirate to death. Luffy brought back his arms and smashed into Shoda with his bazooka, making the man yelp out as he smashed into the railing. Then another shout caught his attention.

"Luffy! Don't let him win! Whatever he's doing, it's hurting Law!" Chopper screamed.

His screaming was lost as Luffy could only hear the sudden curse that floated to his ears from the Sunny. He looked over his shoulder, glaring at the crew. Law was once again collapsed on the deck, holding his side in pain. Luffy realized, with his simple mind, that any injury Shoda made worse on him, was felt by Law as well.

Luffy turned back to the Marine with murder in his eyes. "I'll kill you for hurting Torao," he snarled, cracking his fists as Haki flared from him in waves.

Shoda grinned. "Let's see you try, Straw Hat!" he shouted and leapt towards Luffy.

Luffy dodged him, he had to try and avoid injury if he could. That would help Torao and his friends. He hardened his fist and shot a pistol at Shoda, ignoring to shout his attack. He was past that, he had to fight even more serious and he had no time to shout out his moves.

Shoda moved again and whipped up his leg, trying to catch Luffy as he turned. Luffy blocked the blow, using his own leg to swipe Shoda's feet out from under him. Shoda yelped and fell to the deck, rolling to avoid Luffy's axe kick.

The next attack came to fast for the Marine to dodge and he was knocked off his feet and into the railing of his ship. He glared at Luffy, but as he saw that murderous look, he realized this was his end. Maybe it was better this way, then he got to see the real Annabeth.

"This is the end," Luffy growled.

Shoda grinned wickedly, he had to provoke the Pirate to make him kill him. "You can't possibly think you can win. I'll get that blonde bimbo and make her mine. And you won't be able to do jack shit!" he laughed loudly.

Perhaps he really was deranged. He wasn't right in the head. But he'd known this from the very beginning. When Annabeth had died, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep up with the rest of them. He was slowly loosing it. His love for his wife had been deep, and his hatred for the one who killed her even deeper. But if he got to see her and beg for her forgiveness, he could be happy. Or so he hoped.

What a sad, pathetic man he was.

Luffy readied a fist, swung it a few times, and launched it at Shoda. He connected with the mans temple, sending him flying out over the waters. It was the end.

_I'm sorry, can you ever forgive me, my dear…? _Shoda wondered, in his last moment of consciousness.

A bright light appeared before him, and the figure of a smiling woman took its place inside it. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a white dress and white flats. She looked like an angel. Her arms were spread and her mouth formed one sentence. Shoda smiled. He was happy.

_Of course, now come home._


	13. Chapter 13, Finally Home

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been updating lots. I have my new acc on AO3 and it works, to be honest, better than this site. I got a lot new on there. If you want to see go there. I will finish this story here as well of course. Everything that has been started here will be finished, but I won't make anything new here, probably. I do hope you will enjoy until the end!**

**~Rebecca**

* * *

**Chapter 13, Finally Home**

Sanji blearily opened his eyes to see Zoro's face right up in his personal space. He yelped in surprise and flung himself backwards, banging his kitty head against the wall and falling off of the bed. With a growl of pain, Sanji realized that Zoro was laughing. Hard. He looked up and scowled at the Swordsman only to stop short.

Zoro was laughing so hard his cheeks had turned red and he was tearing up, holding his sides as laughter overcame him. He looked… cute. That was the only thing Sanji could think off. He quickly changed back, realizing he had slept in that form, which was rather exhausting. He blushed hard as he sat there on the floor. Zoro was so… so… beautiful.

"What are you staring at? And why aren't you off the floor yet, you look stupid, Curly Brow."

Sanji grew an irk mark and stood, clenching his fists by his side. He looked away from Zoro and into the space of their small cabin. He couldn't kick Zoro, the Marimo was still injured after all. He glanced at Zoro from the corner of his eye and could see the bandages peeking out over his shirt and pants.

"Can't I look at something cute?" Sanji teased, a grin forming on his lips.

Zoro instantly stopped his smirking and grew immensely red in the span of only a few seconds. He looked like a red lobster, one Sanji could make a stew with it, or a lobster roll, or lobster fettuccini. Oh, that would be great.

"Hey, are you alright?" Zoro asked, seeing as Sanji had been staring at him for a long while.

Sanji was shaken out of his thoughts. "Oh, yes. Sorry. I was thinking about what I could make if I had lobster. Remember that one Sea King Lobster we caught?" he asked in return.

Zoro grinned happily, and Sanji could almost see him drool. "Yeah. When you made the Japanese Lobster Rolls. They were amazing!" he exclaimed, eyes twinkling in delight.

Sanji smiled, Zoro was so cute. He'd never complimented Sanji's food before, but since they had been a thing, he'd been doing it more and more, and Sanji absolutely loved every second of it. If Zoro were to compliment him every day, he'd say he was a very, very happy man.

"Is Luffy here already?" Zoro asked. "Haven't caught most of what's going on? Can you fill me in?" he questioned.

Sanji nodded and sat down on the bed, gazing at Zoro's bandages and his tired face. He was still suffering the after effects of Shoda's torture and he needed lots of rest. This was the one and only time Zoro seemed to be in agreement that he should stay in bed. Sanji smiled at him, glad he was alright.

"Smoker told me that Luffy was kicking ass. He just needs to get here and retrieve us, then we'll be on our way to… I guess Baltigo, which was our destination anyway," Sanji said.

Zoro nodded his head and looked thoughtful. "I hope they didn't run into trouble," he said.

Sanji agreed. "Yeah, but Smoker won't rat us out. He's got it covered. I wonder if he'll ever leave the Marines. He's quite different from them," he said.

Zoro hummed. "You're right. But where would he go? He'd be a deserter and a traitor, or he'd just quit his job. But he wouldn't want to stop with it." Zoro's eyes widened. "He should work with the Revolutionary Army! Luffy would love that!"

Sanji snickered. "He would be a good asset to them, but I don't think he'd appreciate us talking about him like this."

Zoro scoffed. "We're Pirates, we can do whatever the hell we want. Now come here already!" he said, yanking on Sanji's arm to get him closer.

Sanji yelped, but quickly found his balance and held himself up above Zoro. The Swordsman was smiling at him and running his hand through Sanji's hair gently.

"No," Sanji said, pulling away. "You need rest, idiot. I'm not gonna do it with an invalid."

Zoro pouted. "Come on, there's no problem if I keep still, is there?" he asked.

Sanji sighed. Zoro had a point, but that did not mean Sanji was gonna do it with him on a Marine vessel with the chance they would be interrupted because Luffy was on his way here. He could do something different though.

"I'm still not gonna do it with you, but I can give you a blow job if you want," Sanji smirked.

Zoro's face heated up slowly and he nodded hastily. Sanji grinned and he shimmied down the bed to place himself between Zoro's legs. Meanwhile, he placed soft kisses and slow kitty licks on Zoro's skin. Zoro's muscles tightened once Sanji kissed below his navel.

Sanji pulled the covers and Zoro's sweats down at the same time, catching his half hard arousal under the waistband. Zoro hissed as soon as it was free and he laid his head back onto the pillow, closing his eyes to focus on the sensations Sanji was giving him. Sanji ran his hand over Zoro's abs and they tightened under his hand, waiting in anticipation for what Sanji had in mind. Sanji smiled and traveled lower with his kisses, meeting the coarse hairs of Zoro's happy trail and running his hand through it slowly.

Zoro hisses, his erection now fully hard and dripping pre-cum. Sanji rose up a little and placed a long lick on the underside of Zoro's cock. The Swordsman gasped, fisting the sheets in tight hands. Sanji could feel him trembling. It had been a long time since they'd done anything, at least twelve days. Sanji smiled and as he knew that Zoro was very sensitive right now. He was still recovering from everything, which made his tired body sensitive to stimuli.

Sanji wrapped his lips around Zoro's erection and gave a slow suck. Zoro's body bucked under him and Sanji took him a little deeper, running his tongue along the underside and letting his saliva slick up his movements.

"Ah fuck," Zoro hissed.

Sanji smirked a little. Zoro really did love it when Sanji blowed him. Sanji took him all the way to the base and gave a harsh suck. Zoro cried out, arching his back off the bed, but his hips stayed perfectly still, much to Sanji's surprise. The blonde stroked over Zoro's hip, comforting him. He hoped Zoro hadn't pulled a stitch arching like that. Sanji began bobbing his head up and down, and Zoro's quiet moans filled the room. It wasn't long before his body tensed and he released into Sanji's mouth.

Zoro panted for a while, not moving as Sanji wiped his mouth and rose up to meet his eye. Zoro smiled at him, tired but content.

"Do you want me to…?" Zoro began.

Sanji shook his head, he didn't need Zoro's help. He was alright. And they didn't have time for that anyway. Sanji had sensed Luffy coming from a mile away, and he smirked.

"Get dressed, we're getting out of here," he said, standing and patting off his pants.

Zoro quickly sat up, then groaned, but it was muffled as he grit his teeth. He pulled up his pants and stood, wobbling a bit. Sanji steadied him, feeling the weakness in Zoro's grip on his arm. Zoro smiled at him, grateful. They walked to the door and Sanji opened it, greeting Tashigi as she appeared. She smiled at them and lead them out onto the deck. Several Marines wished them good luck and Tashigi wished them the best, though she cast a look at the Wado Ichimonji that had Zoro gripping it tightly. The woman pouted cutely and strode off.

"He should be here in a few minutes," Smoker said as he came up to them.

Sanji looked at him, the man glancing back. "Thank you," he said.

Smoker scoffed. "Don't thank me, I'm only returning the favor."

Zoro chuckled. "Sure you are. Why don't you join the Revolutionaries, they'd love to have ya."

Smoker pulled a face. "Don't even think about it, Pirate," he snarled.

The Marine Vice-Admiral stalked off and barked orders to his men. Sanji watched him, glad to have his help. The older man was always there when something happened. He seemed to be on their tails, but he had his own agenda. Sanji had to admit, he wouldn't have it any other way. He remembered the first time they met, at Logue Town. It was such a long time ago now, perhaps a little over three years.

That's right as well. They were all getting a little older. Sanji was twenty-two already. Zoro was getting there. As was Chopper. Nami was already twenty-one, Luffy twenty, Brook had celebrated his ninety-first year with Usopp, the Sniper having been twenty for two days.

Robin had been happily surprised with a party for her thirty-first. And Franky for his thirty-sixth. Only Zoro and Chopper needed to celebrate their birthdays. Zoro's was only two months away now. And Chopper still had a while to go, but it seemed that the Reindeer did not mind.

"What are you thinking about?" Zoro asked quietly from his side.

Sanji looked at him. The green haired man was panting, a red flush over his face, his arm hanging over Sanji's shoulder as he tried to keep himself up.

"Just that your birthday is coming up. We should do something big," he smiled.

Zoro rolled his eye, steel grey meeting Sanji's ocean blue. Sanji always liked looking at Zoro's eye, it reminded him of his swords, his strength.

"Sure, I guess. You can plan something. Haven't celebrated in years," Zoro answered.

Sanji beamed. He was going to make Zoro's birthday the best one yet! A sudden commotion pulled him from his thoughts and he looked over to see the Marines bustling around. He squinted and looked over the clear waters, spotting a tiny spot in the distance.

"They're here," Sanji murmured.

Zoro sighed, and suddenly he was dead weight in Sanji's arms. The blonde yelped and lowered him to the floor gently. Zoro was breathing, which was good, but if he'd passed out, that was less good. Sanji placed a hand on his forehead, it was searing hot and clammy with sweat. He cursed. Of course Zoro was going to suffer from the after effects, but he hoped they had already passed that stage.

"Is he alright?" came Tashigi's voice.

Sanji looked up at her and nodded. "Yeah, he's just suffering after effects. When Chopper gets here, he'll be fine."

Sanji stroked some of Zoro's hair out of his face and smiled gently. This idiot had endured all that torture just to see him again. So romantic. But Sanji wouldn't recommend him doing it again.

Tashigi knelt next to him and produced a small towel, laying it over Zoro's forehead. The Swordsman leaned into the touch, and Sanji grinned. He was such a baby, and so cute, when he was sick.

"He's strong," Tashigi said.

"Yes," Sanji responded.

"I owe him my life," the woman said, looked up at Sanji through her lashes.

Sanji nodded. He knew that Zoro had saved her from Monet. He was impressed the Swordsman would even save her when she was such a resemblance to Kuina. Sanji wondered if it would help, if he showed her. He looked at Tashigi and drew her attention by staring at her.

"What is it?" she asked, frowning.

"You really do look like her, you know," Sanji said.

"I don't understand, what do you mean?"

"Kuina, the girl Zoro always talks about. Here, I'll show you," he said, transforming into the little girl he could see pictured in Zoro's mind.

Tashigi gasped as Sanji sat there, the exact copy of her. She slowly ran her hand through Sanji's dark locks and tears sprang into her eyes.

"She died at such a young age?" Tashigi whispered.

Sanji nodded and transformed back slowly. "She did, but that's not your fault. I think, now that your hair is longer, you look less like her and Zoro might like you a little more if you wouldn't be so clumsy. He's always scared that you will die the same way she did."

Tashigi nodded slowly, looking down on Zoro and wiping the towel over the side of his face, down his neck to catch the cold sweat decorating his body.

"I'll try," she responded, a determined look on her face.

Sanji smiled. "That's good."

"Straw Hat Pirates sighted off the port bow!" some Marine yelled.

Tashigi instantly stood and began yelling orders. Smoker was nowhere to be seen for the moment and Sanji stood as well, leaving Zoro lying on the floor, he couldn't carry him anyway. Sanji walked to the railing and he could see Luffy standing on Sunny's head, waving his hat and jumping up and down.

"SANJI! ZORO!" he was yelling.

Sanji grinned, they were finally going home. And then he stared in horror as Luffy catapulted himself towards the Marine vessel. The Straw Hat slammed into the railing and was about to fall into the water when a blue film covered over them, and suddenly Luffy was on the deck next to Law and Sanji.

"Wow, hey Law," Sanji grinned.

"SANJI!" Luffy exclaimed, gathering him in a tight hug.

Sanji hugged Luffy back, but the need to breathe soon came over him and he tapped Luffy on the shoulder repeatedly. The Captain released him and seemed to spot Smoker, racing off to him.

Sanji turned to Law, opening his mouth to speak when the man held up a hand. "Don't say anything Black Leg-ya, let's just go."

Sanji nodded, and retrieved Zoro with Law's help. Luffy was still talking with Smoker, apparently thanking him profusely. Sanji rolled his eyes and waved at the G-5 Marines. Then, in a poof, they were back on the Sunny.

Sanji was instantly bombarded by both Nami and Robin, hugging him to an inch of his life. Tears sprang to his eyes and he hugged them back tightly, happy to see them again.

"I was so worried about you!" Nami yelled, slapping him on the shoulder.

Sanji grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, but we're back now. Oh, Chopper," he said. "Zoro's got a fever."

The little Doctor nodded and raced over to the Swordsman, examining him and then asking Law to help him get Zoro to the infirmary. Sanji watched them, then hugged Usopp and Luffy and reassured them he was alright. The crew seemed concerned, but relieved that they were back. On a whim, Sanji looked over his shoulder and saw the Marine vessel retreat, Tashigi's figure on the back deck.

Sanji smiled. They were finally home.


	14. Chapter 14, Baltigo

**Hey guys, here's the new chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

**Rebecca**

* * *

Sanji stared out over the open plains, yellow sand dusting up and white rocks protruding from underneath. He tapped his shoe on the ground, looking beside him at Zoro as the man cleaned his sword from the blood.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered.

Sanji nodded at that. It was indeed. He stared out over the dead bodies of Marines and when he saw no one twitch, he relaxed, slumping down to sit next to his husband.

"I'm tired," he mumbled.

Zoro looked up at him, frowning. "Already?" he asked.

Sanji nodded, he'd been tired a lot lately, and had strange food cravings. He shrugged and sat up a little, yawning. His fingers easily found the gem hanging just under his collarbone and he fiddled with it, yawning once more.

"Are you alright?" Zoro questioned, sheathing his sword and standing.

Sanji hummed. "Yeah, fine."

Zoro looked at him with a frown, but didn't say anything more. It had been like this for a few days. And neither of them knew where his strange behavior had come from. Sanji guessed Zoro had his suspicions, but he himself was more busy with the task at hand. Baltigo was under attack, and seeing as Sabo had asked them for help, they had been helping. Luffy had gone after Sabo the moment he disappeared. None of the crew knew where he had gone off to, but Sanji didn't care.

He also hadn't seen the others in a few days. They had been separated when the Marines attacked the Revolutionaries base. He hoped they were all alright.

"Let's go, we can't stay out in the open, especially not at night," Zoro muttered.

Sanji nodded and stood, then swayed on the spot as a wave of dizziness overcame him. He groaned and felt himself fall over, but before he hit the ground, Zoro caught him gently.

"You are not okay. We're looking for shelter, right now."

Sanji could only agree with Zoro, he had no strength to keep this going. He didn't even know what was wrong with him. Zoro grasped his wrist and slung his arms over his shoulders, lifting Sanji onto his back. Sanji knew, somewhere in the back of his mind that it was a bad idea for Zoro to lead, but he couldn't think about it anymore as darkness swooped in and took him away.

**o-o-o**

_A few days ago_

Sanji frowned at the white rocks protruding from the sand. He turned to face his Captain's joyful face and frowned some more.

"This is Baltigo?" he questioned.

Luffy nodded excitedly and he skipped around the place, much to a sleeping Swordsman's annoyance. Sanji stared as Zoro's face grew more thunderous overtime and finally snapped. He shot out the butt of his sword and caught Luffy right between the eyes, making him fall back and howl in pain.

"ZORO! Mutiny!" the straw hat cried, grasping at his dented face.

"What mutiny?" Zoro growled, sitting up to whack Luffy on the head. "You're irritating me, and I haven't disobeyed orders, yet."

Sanji snorted, that was such a Zoro move. And the fact he added 'yet' had Sanji thinking. Zoro was sure to leave if they got in the way of his dream, but Sanji wondered if he had a little more of a reason to stay. He smiled, watching as his Captain and his husband wrestled around and shouted about.

"Guys!" Nami's yell startled them and Sanji turned to look at her as she descended the stairs.

"What is it, Nami-san?" he asked, looking her over.

Nami walked over to them, the rest of the crew on her heels. Usopp greeted Sanji with a smile and Chopper came to give him a hug. Sanji smiled and cuddled the little Reindeer close.

"We'll be docking soon, and Law agreed to meet us at port. He'll take us to the Revolutionaries," Nami said, waving a map around in front of their faces. "This place is dangerous, and there could be Marines attacking any second, so we need to be on our guard."

Sanji nodded his head and set Chopper down on the floor, to which the Doctor made his way over to Usopp, clinging to his leg. Zoro came to stand beside him, an arm slung around his waist, pulling him closer. The Swordsman kissed his neck and nibbled on his hair as Nami went on about the dangers of the Island.

"Now for the groups. I'm guessing that you two want to stay together," Nami said, pointing at both Zoro and Sanji. "So, Sanji-kun, keep Zoro from getting lost," she said, to which Zoro squawked. Nami continued, "Me and Robin are going together and I suggest that Usopp, Chopper and Luffy go together as well. Brook and Franky can choose their group, or stay together as a pair."

All of them nodded their heads and Nami sighed. Sanji got why she was tense. This was a dangerous place for them. If the Government found out they were here all hell could break loose. Sanji placed a hand on the one resting on his waist. He turned his head to the side and Zoro reacted by kissing him on the cheek.

"Alright, not that that is done, let's get going," Nami said, turning on her heels and stalking back up the stairs.

"Come with me," Zoro murmured into Sanji's hair.

Sanji felt his skin tingle, but did as Zoro asked, letting the man lead him to the bunk room. Zoro locked the door behind him and Sanji fell into the kiss he received.

"Are you gonna be alright?" the Swordsman murmured, concerned about Sanji it seemed.

Sanji knew what he was talking about, so he nodded. "I'll be fine," he whispered against Zoro's lips.

The Swordsman chuckled lowly and placed another kiss on Sanji's lips, draggin the blonde's lower lip between his teeth. Sanji hissed, clutching at Zoro's arms with a white knuckled grip.

"We don't have time for this!" Sanji snapped, thought there was no anger behind it.

"Don't care," Zoro murmured into his neck, placing kisses and licks on the warm flesh.

Sanji writhed in his arms, biting down on a groan as Zoro found that particular spot on his neck. The green haired man teased it for a while, before moving on. His hands were working on Sanji's buttons and the Cook could do nothing to stop his husband as he was slowly undressed.

"Zoro," he whined softly.

The other man skimmed hands down his exposed side, sliding his now unbuttoned shirt down his arms and letting it flop on the floor.

"I know, now shut up," Zoro muttered.

He kissed Sanji again, deeply. The Cook moaned softly into the kiss and fiddled with Zoro's sash, untying the knot and letting the fabric fall to the floor. Zoro groaned in response and drove his hips into Sanji, crushing their arousals together.

"Again, we don't have the time," Sanji groaned, gasping right after as Zoro tackled him to the floor.

The Swordsman laid kisses on his skin and slowly, ever so slowly, pulled Sanji's pants down his hips, underwear along with it. Zoro's mouth instantly descends on Sanji's aching length and the Cook cries out softly, biting his wrist.

"Ah fuck," Sanji muttered.

Zoro hummed around him and the blonde Cook groaned. Zoro's hands where all over his skin and Sanji sat up a little to see the Swordsman palming himself through his tented pants. Sanji snorted between gasps. Zoro groaned loudly and Sanji could see him squirm. Sanji knew Zoro had a bit of an oral fixation. Zoro loved getting him off and Sanji enjoyed it as well.

"Zoro, I'm so close," Sanji moaned, gripping at Zoro's hair as the other man sucked hard on his aching cock.

Sanji writhed underneath him and felt his orgasm coil in his abdomen. He felt it snap suddenly and Sanji cried out, only vaguely aware of Zoro's choked moan as the man burst inside his pants. Zoro seemed to shudder all over, and as Sanji slowly came down from the high, the Swordsman popped of off him and breathed deeply for a moment.

"You need clean pants," Sanji managed between gasps.

Zoro swatted at his thigh, and Sanji shrieked with laughter.


	15. Chapter 15, Ground Zero

Zoro walked into the cavern with a relieved sigh. He hadn't seen any shelter for hours, and as night began to fall, he knew it was dangerous to stay out in the open. He walked a little further and let Sanji slip off his back, laying the Cook down on his back gently. Sanji was panting heavily, had been for about an hour or so. His face was flushed and his forehead felt clammy. Zoro had no idea what was wrong with him, and he had no idea how to fix it.

Law had said that using his powers tired him out, meaning he needed sleep and food. Seeing as they had been fighting a lot the last few days and hadn't had much time for sleeping and eating, Zoro guessed Sanji was backfiring like the first time he'd used his powers. Alas, he couldn't be sure unless he spoke with Chopper or Law themselves.

"There we go," Zoro muttered, standing straight and beginning to unlace his swords from his belt.

He set them off to the side and took off his coat, draping it over Sanji shivering body. He couldn't provide Sanji the care he obviously needed, and Zoro was worried for his decreasing health. Zoro cursed and rubbed his neck. He was tired as well, seeing as he'd been walking for a long time. But he had to stay up and care for Sanji. He didn't know if the blonde could die or anything, but Zoro wanted to be there for him. He set himself down, wondering if he could find some wood for fire, then guessed that was a bad idea, seeing as you could spot fire from miles away.

Zoro sighed, laying his head in his hands. He had no idea what to do, he really wasn't suited for this kind of thing. He just wanted Sanji to be alright, and he had no idea how to fix this problem. Sanji had said something about his powers, like sharing or something, and Zoro wondered if he could, perhaps, share some of his energy or Haki with Sanji. Just to make the blonde feel better of course. Sanji needed real sleep and real food. Zoro opened his eye to look at Sanji, glancing over his flushed face and his trembling body. What could he do? What _should_ he do?

Zoro stood again, laying a hand on Sanji's arm, feeling for his pulse. He shifted minutely, when suddenly, a loud crack rang out through the cave. Zoro's head snapped up, eye wide as he froze in place. What had that been? Was it dangerous? He looked around slowly, couldn't see anything, and relaxed slowly. He shifted again, trying to get Sanji's arm to lift, when the ground under his feet cracked. Zoro froze again, but the damage was already done and he swallowed hard. The floor under his feet fell away, and Zoro had only a second to grab Sanji's arm, pulling him in close to avoid him getting hurt.

They fell through darkness, and Zoro's leg hit something hard. He heard a loud snap, and white hot pain licked up his leg, making him scream in agony. His back hit something as well, and his hand involuntarily let go of Sanji's arm, making the blonde fall away from him. Zoro cursed, couldn't see anything, couldn't hear but his own breathing as he rolled sideways, into the darkness.

When he came to a stillstand, Zoro breathed heavily for a few seconds. Sanji's body had not hit his, so he guessed there was another chamber or tunnel that had separated them. He placed his arms under himself and pushed up, only to lower himself as agony shot up his leg, and he felt blood soak his pant leg. He cursed, he should have been more careful. Now he was injured for fucks sake.

Zoro's fingers carefully made their way to his leg and he tenderly felt around the wound, whining when he felt the bone poke out of his skin. It hurt like a bitch, and he had nothing to secure it with. His jacket was lost somewhere with Sanji, his sash with his swords.

Fuck.

His swords.

Zoro cursed loudly, his swear echoing off the walls and returning to him. He shifted and bit through the pain, making himself stand. If only he had his swords. What happened to them? He hoped to any God he didn't believe in that they were alright. Kuina would kill him if he let anything happen to Wado, and to be honest, he was scared of her wrath.

Zoro placed his hands on the wall beside him, totally blind. He hissed through his teeth as his leg jolted, but he had to stand. He had to find out where he was. He felt nausea climb up his limbs, he quickly pushed it down. God this was so dumb. He had to have taken this into consideration. What if Sanji was really injured, or there was something dangerous down here. Zoro couldn't help him now.

"S-Sanji?" Zoro coughed, finally feeling the dust that had gathered in his lungs.

He coughed loudly, slammed his hand into his chest to clear his lungs and called his husband again. There was no answer other than his own voice echoing back to him. Zoro blinked a few times, wobbling on his feet. Fuck, he was going to pass out. But if he did, he'd die from blood loss.

He rubbed at his eyes, blinking again, because what in the hell was- Was that a light? Zoro frowned, stumbled forward and cried out as he put weight on his bad leg. He felt himself shiver, and his leg collapsed under him, sending him ungracefully onto the floor. He cursed again, how could he help Sanji like this, the one person who was in need of his help most. He was such an idiot.

"Well, well," a feminine voice echoed around the tunnel.

Zoro's head shot up, black spots dancing in his vision. "Whose there?" he slurred slightly.

A chuckle echoed around him and suddenly a cold hand was pressing into his jaw, tilting up his head. Zoro squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth as his leg throbbed.

"It seems a little bunny fell down my rabbit hole. What's your name, little bunny?" the voice inquired.

"R-Roronoa Zoro…" he answered, even though he didn't want to.

"Well then, Zoro. Come with me, let's have some fun," the voice said, and Zoro's world was swallowed by darkness.

**o-o-o**

Nami bumped into Luffy as the Captain came to a dead stop in front of her. She frowned, about to yell at him when she saw his serious expression.

"What is it?" she asked softly, making the others of their party halt.

Law looked over his shoulder, Chopper on his side in his Reindeer form, and Robin on his other side with a pensive look on her face. Luffy fiddled with his hat, a torn expression on his face.

"Zoro… He's in trouble," he mumbled.

Nami's eyes widened. "You can tell?" she asked.

Luffy nodded. "And Sanji, too. He's…" he paused. "I think he worked himself too hard again. Torao! We need to help them!" the Straw Hat wearing kid exclaimed, looking at his… Nami didn't really know what the hell they were.

She sighed, already concluding that it was no use going against Luffy. She pulled at her shirt, and fished her Transponder Snail from under her bra. The little snail looked blissed out, but as she shook it, it woke and was ready for her to make a call.

"I'll inform the other's," she said.

Law nodded at her, motioned for the others to follow Luffy as the Captain had already turned from their route. Nami waited for her call to connect and glanced at Robin, seeing the older woman's worried face. Nami was worried as well. What could have happened to their crewmates that required Luffy's attention. God, she hoped it wasn't something dumb.

"Hello?" Usopp's voice came through the Snail and Nami sighed.

"Usopp, tell Sabo Luffy decided that rescuing Zoro and Sanji came first, and we'll continue with the plan afterwards. Understand?" she asked.

"Yeah, alright. I'll tell him. You guys alright?" Usopp asked. "Do you know what's wrong with them?" he wondered.

Nami shook her head. "No, but Luffy thinks its something bad. I gotta go now."

She hung up quickly, trotting after the others with a worried feeling settling in her heart. Something wasn't right here, and she had yet to figure out what the hell it was.


	16. Chapter 16, A New Enemy Rises

**Well lookie here, guys. I got ya'll something. Here's three new chapter's! You can find everything on AO3 as well, I update there the most. Sorry that I'm kinda forgetting this site, but I do still plan on finishing it all. **

* * *

**Chapter 16, A New Enemy Rises**

Luffy growled under his breath. Nothing was going to plan. Not that he ever stuck to the plan. But nothing was going to plan and that made everything difficult. He could see Law's frown from a mile away and the older man was perhaps as worried as he was, though he didn't really show it that much. Luffy could hear Nami mutter to herself, talking about something he couldn't hear. He was a little lost in his own anger.

Zoro and Sanji were in trouble, again. Why was it always them that were targeted. Luffy was the Captain of the crew, he should get all the people after him. Well, he was getting everyone after him. If the Marines attacking Baltigo was an indication, and how Sabo had looked while rolling his eyes and smiling. Dragon had not been amused, though, which unsettled the young Straw Hat even more than when his grandfather was upset.

"We should follow Sanji-ya's Haki trail. I cannot sense Zoro-ya's Haki anymore," Law said.

Luffy bit his lip, worry creeping up to him. He nodded to Law and flung his arm to the side to catch a Marine in the chin, making the man fly back.

"Robin! I need eyes!" Luffy said, rounding to look at his crewmate.

Robin nodded her head and crossed her arms, sprouting eyes all over the place and as far as her reach would allow her. Luffy just hoped they were close enough to his two crewmates to help them. Luffy groaned, why was nothing ever going good for them. He himself didn't really mind, it was fun, but he didn't like it when his friends got injured. And he guessed that Zoro was injured, he couldn't sense his Haki.

"Law, you should lead the way," Nami called from behind them.

Luffy could see Law nod his head and the Surgeon motioned for Chopper to join him. The Reindeer turned to his full Reindeer form and trotted after Law as he cut a path through the Marines. Luffy could hear more fighting, and he saw a few explosions. He guessed that Usopp and Franky where fine on their own with Sabo at their side. Nami had called them that they were going to rescue Zoro and Sanji.

Luffy snapped his arm back from its outstretched position and began to run after Law and the others. Nami caught up quickly and he took her hand, pulling her along. Robin was still crossing her arms, eyes sprouting all over the place as she ran and navigated around the attacking Marines.

"Cover Robin!" Luffy called out, punching a Marine that raised his sword at her.

"Roger that," Nami called over and immediately went to her best friend, covering her for attacks.

"We need to move," Law shouted, a little ways from them on the field, using Room to move Marines out of his way.

"Sanji-ya's Haki is fading fast."

Luffy's head shot up as Law said that. It couldn't be a good sign. He cursed to himself, flipping his hat of his head and glaring around for anything that indicated where Zoro and Sanji could possibly be. To Luffy's surprise, he saw a tiny, dark spot far away in his vision. He stared at it for a moment, then got the sensation that that had to be the place they were and he rounded on his friends.

"There!" he exclaimed, flinging his arm out to point at the tiny spot.

Law's face went grim and he nodded, indicating that he could sense Sanji's Haki from there. Luffy smiled, but it was short and he quickly made sure all his friends could follow him there.

"You go ahead!" Law told him as a few Marines tried to stop them once again.

Luffy was about to protest when Law's face went stern and he gulped. Law had a point. If Luffy got there first, he could help his two crewmates while the others would follow him. No matter what. He nodded, giving Law a smile that made a blush cover the Surgeons face, and Luffy rocketed himself closer to the black spot.

As he slowly got closer, his eyes widened as he saw that it was a cave. Zoro must have taken shelter there, together with Sanji. No, Luffy thought, he'd brought Sanji here. Sanji had been acting a little weird lately. Luffy guessed that Sanji had really overworked himself and had collapsed on the battlefield. The Straw Hat made his way towards the cave and peeked inside carefully.

There was nobody there, strangely.

Luffy frowned and stepped further inside. There was some sort of large hole in the middle of the cave, and to Luffy's surprise, he could see Zoro's katana and his sash thrown to the side. The Swordsman and Cook where nowhere to be seen. Luffy made a whining noise, where could his friends be, Zoro never left his katana unguarded. It was a wonder they hadn't been stolen yet.

Luffy knew he wasn't as bright as Law with Haki, but now that he was close, he guessed he could give it a try. He closed his eyes and breathed out, relaxing himself as he went to look for Sanji's fading Haki. He could sense something. It was small and getting smaller by the second, and Luffy realized it _was_ Sanji. He yelped and snapped his eyes open, glaring down the hole.

Sanji was there, he had to be. Without thinking twice, Luffy leaped into the hole and skidded down towards where he thought his crewmate would be. He smacked into a wall of some sort and cursed, then toppled head over heels into the floor. Luffy lay there for a few seconds, breathing in and out slowly. He couldn't see anything, and he was still very worried about his friends.

"Sanji?" he asked softly, pushing himself up and looking around.

It was very, very dark and he couldn't even see his own hand in front of his face. He was blind. Luffy carefully felt around with his hands, bumping into something soft and his eyes widened. It had to be Sanji! Luffy sat up, bracing himself and feeling around for anything recognizable. He felt the body in front of him, flaccid hair, closed eyes, lanky body.

"Sanji!" Luffy yelped out.

The Straw Hat wearing Captain was terribly worried. He sat himself up, bringing Sanji's body closer to him. A groan left the body and Luffy suddenly remember what Sanji would need. He pulled his backpack off his back and dug through it to find his Pirate Bento Lunch Box that Sanji had prepared earlier.

"Please work," Luffy murmured.

He pulled open the box and pulled out one of the buns Sanji had put in. He heaved up Sanji's unconscious body and the blonde's head fell against his shoulder. Luffy pushed the bun against Sanji's lips and hoped to any God that might exist that Sanji would eat it.

To Luffy's surprise, Sanji started to nibble on the bun. Luffy couldn't see it, but he could feel it. It was still so dark, there was nothing here. Luffy could faintly hear water dripping down, and some sort of skittering around. He didn't know what was down here, but it could be dangerous.

"Sanji, come on, wake up," Luffy muttered, hoisting Sanji higher to him.

Sanji made a moaning sound, and Luffy hoped that he would wake up soon. He still had to find Zoro, and he didn't know where the other man was. Perhaps they could use Sanji's jewel again, but Luffy didn't really know how it all worked.

"Luffy?"

Sanji's voice startled Luffy bad, he jumped a little in surprise. He looked down, even though he couldn't see anything, and stared into the darkness.

"Sanji!" he exclaimed. "Where's Zoro? Are you alright?"

He could almost hear Sanji frown. "Zoro? What's with him? He's not here, where are we anyway?"

Luffy heard him groan and Sanji shifted in his grasp. The blonde gasped, but Luffy knew it wasn't from pain. Well, not major pain anyway.

"Are you alright?" Luffy asked quietly.

"Yes, I think so. Hey," Sanji said, grabbing Luffy's face to draw his gaze down.

"Is that…" Luffy said in astonishment.

Sanji's jewel was flickering in color and growing dimmer, then glowing brighter. Luffy's face was full of confusion, but he knew that this was bad. If Sanji's jewel was reflecting Zoro's feelings and state of health, he was in a bad shape.

"He's not alright," Sanji murmured. "There's something very wrong. And I feel this… strange tingle in my leg."

Luffy frowned. A tingling… sensation… in Sanji's leg! That meant Zoro was injured!

"We have to find him. Law couldn't detect his Haki, but maybe you can, Sanji," Luffy said, helping the blonde sit upright. "Here," he said. "Have my Pirate Bento Lunch Box."

Sanji snickered. "Thanks Luffy," he said.

Luffy heard it as Sanji began to eat. He also heard it when footsteps approached at a rapid pace. He smiled.

"That must be the others," he said, standing up.

"Uh, Luffy. What's that skittering sound?" Sanji's voice had taken on an edge of fear and Luffy knew.

"Probably some insects," he responded. "Don't think about it, just eat," he added.

He heard Sanji swallow, and then heard him continue eating. Luffy turned his head skywards, trying to locate some light. He spotted a little dot, but couldn't see anything out of it.

"Torao?" he asked, shouting upwards.

"Luffy-ya?" Law's voice sounded and the light was blocked. "Wait up, we'll bring a light."

A second later, Law and the rest of Luffy's earlier company appeared beside him, lantern in hand. Sanji screamed, finally seeing all the spiders crawling around him. He shot up, Lunch Box still in hand and clutching it to his chest. He seemed fine and uninjured, luckily. Luffy smiled happily at that.

"He's fine," Usopp murmured.

Luffy nodded. "I don't know where Zoro is," he said, pouting.

Sanji's head snapped up. "Wait, we _don't know_ where _Zoro _is?" he shrieked.

Luffy face palmed. "Didn't we just talk about this?" he asked, wondering himself why he was acting so smart all of a sudden.

What was with this place anyway… It was creepy.

"We need to find him, then," Sanji mumbled, straightening.

Luffy nodded his head. "I don't think he's far away… never mind that's a stupid thought," he mumbled.

Nami send him a look that said everything he needed to know. Luffy rubbed at his neck sheepishly and grinned dumbly.

"We need… my… necklace…" Sanji began, then trailed off. "Where is it!" he then shrieked.

Luffy looked up, shocked. Nobody could take that off of Sanji. Only he or Zoro could do that. What in the name of…?

"Where is it?" Sanji shouted.

To Luffy's surprise, the blonde marched into the tunnel, without a light, and with the spiders. Luffy began to follow, and Nami after him with the lantern. Law fell into step quickly and Robin stood at his side. Luffy followed after Sanji and caught up to him, saw the grim determination on Sanji face.

"Everything is going to shit, why can't anything ever go right?" Sanji seethed.

Luffy had to agree with that. Everything was kinda going the wrong way, wasn't it. Luffy sighed, he had to think of something to make it up to his friends. It was kinda his fault this had all happened. He hoped the others were alright fighting the Marines on their own. Luckily they had the Revolutionary Army to back them up.

"We'll find it, don't worry," Luffy said, catching Sanji's elbow and making him stop.

Sanji looked at him, desperation in his eyes. Luffy knew what he felt right now, but they had to think before they acted. Nobody knew where Zoro was, and he was injured. His Haki was gone, which couldn't mean anything good, now could it?

"You have a very keen mind, for someone so dumb," an echoing voice suddenly said.

Luffy tensed, letting go of Sanji's elbow and taking a fighting stance.

"Whose there?" he asked.

Law and his crew came up to them, Law's light with him. They could see spiders, but both Sanji and Nami said nothing in regards to them. There was something else, though, that had Luffy worried.

A large leg, spider leg, came towards them and out of the shadows stepped a half spider half human. It was a woman, her long silver hair casting shadows on the floor. Her eyes were red and looked down upon them harshly. Luffy could see Sanji shiver, but kept his eyes on the spider woman.

"More prey for me, it seems," the spider said, her mouth grinning open and showing rows of sharp teeth.

Luffy had only a second to react when a large leg came his way. Law's lamp shattered, and Nami's scream echoed throughout the chamber. Then, there was nothing but darkness and silence.


	17. Chapter 17, Spiders Everywhere

**Chapter 17, Spiders Everywhere**

The battle had silenced a little while ago, and Usopp was quite glad it had. He looked to his side to see Chopper collapsing in a heap on the floor, sighing in relief. The Sniper smiled, stretching his arm out to ruffle Chopper's fur affectionately. Chopper smiled slowly, but did nothing else, he was tired. Franky was off getting something from the battle field and Brook was standing before Usopp, silent as the grave. (Skull Joke! Yo-ho-ho!)

"I wonder if Luffy-san has found Zoro-san and Sanji-san already," the skeleton mused softly.

Usopp nodded his head. "Yeah, we should probably go looking for them, but first we need to inform Sabo about this battle and the coming dangers," he said, standing up from his perch on the rock.

Chopper hopped up next to him and changed to walk point, sniffing the air. "I can't smell them anymore, their scent has disappeared."

Usopp frowned, but didn't comment. He stood and fished the tiny Transponder Snail from his pocket, clicking it on. It's eyes opened and it began to call Sabo. After a few moments it clicked and Usopp smiled in relief.

"Hey! What's up?" Sabo's cheery voice asked.

"Hey, we just had a battle here, and there's an Admiral coming your way. You have to warn Dragon before he gets there!" Usopp said.

Sabo hummed. "Alright, I'll let him know. Can you tell Luffy to meet us at sunset?" he asked.

Usopp pulled a face. "Well, that'll be a bit of an ordeal. You see, Luffy went after Zoro and Sanji, they were missing and now he's off the radar," he said.

Sabo sighed loudly. "Alright, I'll let Dragon know. You go look for them then," he said.

Usopp smiled. "I will, be careful."

"See you guys later," Sabo said, amusement in his voice as he hung up.

"Let's go you guys!" Usopp yelled, catching the attention of his three friends. "We have to look for them now."

Franky came running back with a yelled 'SUPER!' and Brook swung his cane around. Chopper came standing next to the Sniper in walk point, sniffing the air once more.

"I can trace them a little, but not much," he said.

Usopp nodded his head. "That's alright. We'll find them," he said.

Chopper smiled, and with that, they went on ahead to find their friends. The dessert wind blew quietly behind them over the now deserted battlefield.

**o-o-o**

Zoro's eyes opened terribly slowly. A stinging pain was climbing up his leg and he groaned, rolling his head to the side to see what was going on. The room around him was dark, and as Zoro struggled he found out that he was suspended in the air, spread eagled and in pain.

There was a skittering sound all around him, and he could feel blood seep down his pant leg and into his boot. He shuddered. He'd obviously lost a lot of blood and he felt a little lightheaded. The darkness was stifling and the air was barely breathable.

"Where in the-" Zoro rasped, throat dry and tongue made of sandpaper.

He coughed, the sound echoing through the room. The skittering sound stopped for a moment, before continuing. Wasn't there something he was missing?

"Fuck," Zoro murmured.

He'd forgotten all about Sanji. Where was the blonde? Was he even alright? Zoro struggled some more, clawing at his bonds. They were made of something soft and silky and didn't give much room for such a struggle. It tired him out quickly enough and he groaned, letting his head fall.

Suddenly, he felt something crawl up his uninjured leg and he yelped, flailing harshly. The thing fell of and with a screech, disappeared from him. Zoro felt a shudder climb up his spine as he realized where he was. It was a den full of spiders…

Sanji would hate it.

That thought brought a small smile to his face and Zoro resumed his struggle. He had to get out of here, and soon. He trashed and struggled and clawed at his bonds, and finally, one snapped, leaving him to hang from his arms and legs. He bared his teeth, had to get his injured leg to free itself.

With an agonized scream, the bonds ripped and he fell to the floor, white hot agony shooting up his leg as it smacked into the floor. Zoro bit into his arm, muffling his second scream, but letting tears stream from his eyes. He felt even worse now than before. This wasn't going so well.

Something crawled over his leg again, making him kick out. His foot slammed into a solid body, which flew from him and crashed down with a hiss. He could feel their presence closing in on him, and it made him shiver in disgust. He had to make some light, or get out of here as fast as he could.

Zoro stood slowly, gathering the silk that was around his arms and legs and groping around the floor for a stick. He found one and bound the silk around it, then searched his pant pockets for Sanji's lighter. He held it against the silk and it went up in flames quite quickly. He could finally see something, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

There were spiders off all sizes in the room, just beyond the flickering light of the flames. Some were as big as Zoro's hands, some as big as his torso. The Swordsman swallowed dryly. He did not like this. No, he wasn't afraid of a spider, but spiders as big as him, or bigger, did pose a serious threat.

Zoro swung his torch around, looking into the darkness for a way out. There was only walls, and spiders. There seemed to be no way out, but the spiders had to come from somewhere. Zoro grit his teeth as he took a step. Pain flared in his leg and he collapsed on the floor. Hissing surrounded him and Zoro was not at all pleased with this situation.

Zoro lifted the torch up high, and through the haze of pain, seeing a hole in the ceiling. That must have been how he had gotten here, but he would never be able to get out that way. There was no way he would be able to with his leg and the loss of blood.

He was screwed. So, so screwed.

Suddenly, the chittering of the spiders grew silent and Zoro dreaded what was to come. From above him, he could see a large shadow coming towards him, and he already knew what that was. Large spider legs came out of the hole, followed by the silver haired lady and what seemed to be five cocoons.

Shit.

The cocoons where squirming and struggling around and Zoro could clearly hear Luffy yelling to be let out. He groaned lowly and face-palmed. The spider-woman looked at him and hissed, stalking towards him.

"You insolent little bunny, you're not supposed to wander around, and with fire to boot. Bad bunny," she hissed, clawing at him and wrapping a long nailed hand around his bicep, lifting him off the floor.

Zoro swung the torch at her and she hissed, dropping him. The torch fell from his hand as he shrieked in pain, hands flying to his leg. His vision was dancing, and Zoro felt like throwing up.

"That's it, I'm putting you back up there," the woman hissed.

Zoro couldn't protest as she grabbed him again. Seconds later he was passing out again.


	18. Chapter 18, Onwards

**Chapter 18, Onwards**

Sanji heard Zoro's loud cry of pain and he knew this was where the Swordsman was. He could feel him, his aura weakening with each moment. Sanji grew angry, he didn't want to get into this situation again. They had just come out of something similar and he didn't want Zoro to die, not again. Never again.

Sanji knew what the spider lady looked like, wondered if he could match her. And then he realized that he could do whatever the fuck he wanted, and so he did.

He burst from the cocoon. Spidery legs went everywhere and long blonde hair fell down his side. His spider-like body rose from the cocoon, much to the shock of the lady spider. Her face screwed up, and Sanji's did too when he saw what she held in her hand. Zoro was hanging limply from his arm in his grasp, blood seeping from an open wound on his leg.

It looked horrible.

"Let. Go. Of. My. Husband," Sanji snarled.

He heard his Nakama shout inside their cocoons and he maneuvered himself towards Luffy's, using his new spider body to untangle the silk around his Captain. Luffy's face popped up and he gasped in shock at seeing Sanji's new form.

"You're a spider!" he laughed loudly.

"You insolent-!" the spider lady cut herself off with a hiss at Sanji, growling at him and dropping her pray, Zoro's body falling uselessly to the floor.

Sanji heard him groan, but not much else came from him. He looked scary pale and the wound looked even worse now that he was lying down, though crumpled.

"You kidnapped my husband, and you're not getting away with it!" Sanji snarled, launching himself at the woman.

She screeched and held out her arms, catching him and clawing at his longer hair, pulling.

"You think I wanted such a useless piece of prey! He's almost completely empty, not useful for me at all!" she growled, raking her nails down Sanji's side.

Sanji reciprocated by clawing at the woman's face, giving her a hard slap. She shrieked in outrage and Sanji found himself engaged in a cat fight with a spider woman. Strangely, it didn't bother him to hit this woman at all.

Meanwhile, Luffy was on a quest to retrieve his friends from their cocoons. He freed Law first, the Surgeon hacking for air and grasping at his chest as if his lungs where full of silk. Nami was in no way pleased and Robin held her tongue as she was freed. She seemed to be establishing their position in battle.

"What do we do?" Nami asked as she detangled herself from the silk.

"We have to get Zoro-ya," Law said, motioning towards the downed Swordsman.

Luffy agreed and stretched his arms, avoiding the two fighting spiders as he retrieved Zoro's body. Law began looking him over immediately, and Nami retrieved the torch which Zoro had dropped, lighting their group up and keeping the smaller spiders away.

"Is he alright?" the Navigator asked, glancing over her shoulder at Sanji as he was clawing at the woman's hair.

"No," Law answered curtly. "Robin-ya, hold this for me," he said, motioning towards Zoro's torn pant leg.

Robin did, Luffy cringed and Nami looked away as Law pushed Zoro's Fibula back into his body. The green haired man groaned, but made no other sound. Robin made a humming sound and some of her hands sprouted to help Law with his work.

"Thank you," the younger man said softly to her.

Robin smiled at him. Luffy didn't look away as Law fixed Zoro's leg, but he did keep an eye out for Sanji. Their enemy was a strange one. He didn't remember how they had gotten caught by her, but seeing as Sanji could hold his own, it didn't matter anymore. They were fine. Sanji would defeat the strange lady and they would get out of here to help Sabo. This was just a minor inconvenience.

"You have no rights here!" the spider woman screamed out.

Luffy perked up as Sanji grunted and he watched as the blonde was thrown to the floor, spidery legs flailing. Luffy became slightly worried, but Sanji got up quickly enough and retaliated with a strong swipe of legs at the other spider.

"You have no idea who you're messing with!" the blonde yelled back.

The spider woman hissed loudly and bared her teeth. "I am the great Mother! You are just insolent prey!" she accused.

Sanji scoffed. "And we're just your average Pirates!" he replied, swiping at her again.

The silver haired woman dodged his attack, retaliated with one of her own but missed. Luffy watched them fight. It was strange to watch a fight between two half spiders half woman, but he found it to be quite funny. The other spiders in the room didn't dare attack, and Luffy would kick their asses if they tried.

"We have to move," Law said from behind him and Luffy turned.

Zoro was all bandaged up and Robin had sprouted a few arms to keep the Swordsman off the floor. Luffy nodded his head and motioned for them to go ahead. Robin sprouted a few more hands that acted as a ladder and they all began to climb out of the hole.

"Sanji! We're leaving!" Luffy shouted.

Sanji snarled in his direction, but Luffy knew he'd heard him. The Straw Hat nodded at his Cook, and disappeared into the hole.

"NO! My prey!" the silver spider shrieked.

Sanji backhanded her across the face and growled at her.

"We're getting out of here, and you're not stopping us!" he shouted, jumping backwards and changing forms, wings snapping out of his back.

He grinned at the woman, her face one of shock, then rage. Sanji waved once, and then shot up the hole with his new wings. They were light and sleek, giving him the room to maneuver. He quickly caught up with his friends and informed them that it wouldn't take the spider woman long to find them.

Luffy agreed and they quickly made their way to the surface, thanks to Law's powers. Luffy breathed the fresh air in and sighed heavily. He looked around. There was nobody here, silence and quiet, finally.

"Is he alright?" Sanji asked as he landed next to Luffy, making the Straw Hat look over his shoulder at Zoro.

The Swordsman still looked pale, but now he looked at least a little more comfortable.

"He probably got hurt when you guys fell down that hole," Law piped up.

"Dammit," Sanji muttered. "Stupid idiot."

Luffy grinned, glad his family was together again. "Let's go after the others, they might need help," he said.

Law agreed, stood and motioned for Sanji to help him lift Zoro. Sanji did, and they party moved onwards. Towards what, they did not know yet. But it would certainly be better than here, in the middle of the desert, with no shade, no water, and nobody for miles.


	19. Chapter 19, Making Plans

**Chapter 19, Making Plans**

Sabo squinted as he looked out over the dry landscape. He could see Usopp's party coming towards him fairly quickly. The long nosed man had explained to him what happened and it made Sabo groan. Why did Silver have to go and search for prey now? Couldn't she at least have taken a Marine? But no! She had to go for Roronoa Zoro, dammit.

"I can see them now," Koala said beside him.

Sabo looked at her and nodded, turning on his heels and marching back inside the base. He nodded to Dragon and kept on walking, down the stairs and towards the main entrance. Most of the Marines had been defeated, but he'd heard that Fleet Admiral Sakazuki had ordered a Buster-Call. The bastard. Sabo grit his teeth and swung the doors open, welcoming his friends inside.

"They're on their way," Usopp said the moment the door opened.

"They are?" Sabo questioned.

Usopp nodded. "Yeah, Sanji transformed to kick some spider ass and Law treated Zoro's leg, but he'll need a sterile room to really set it back in place."

Sabo nodded his head and motioned for Brook, Franky and Chopper to come inside. He lead them upstairs and into Dragon's office, where they all took some seats.

"So Law needs a room to work on Zoro and when he's done that, we can discuss what to do next. Sakazuki ordered a Buster-Call and we need to be prepared, this island cannot be lost," Sabo said seriously.

Usopp nodded once again, but stayed silent.

"We need some rest as well," Chopper said softly from the side.

Usopp looked at him and smiled. He picked up the little Reindeer and set the young animal on his lap, burying a hand in Chopper's fur.

"You can rest until my son arrives," Dragon piped up from behind his desk.

He was busy writing on papers, but only Sabo knew what they were about. The blond man nodded and motioned for the other to follow him.

"I'll take you to some rooms, you can rest there until Lu arrives. I'll wake you when he's here," Sabo said as he opened the door.

Chopper yawned as a response and Usopp could hear Brook chuckle.

"I wonder if Law wants me to help him," Chopper questioned as he snuggled his head into Usopp's chest.

"I'm sure he'll need your wonderful skills!" Usopp responded, ruffling the young Doctor's fur.

Chopper giggled. "That doesn't make me happy at all, you bastard!"

Usopp snorted, and the door slammed closed behind them.

**o-o-o**

Zoro's eyes slowly opened to see white walls. He blinked a few times, feeling strangely better than a few hours before. He swiveled his eyes to the side and spotted a splotch of golden hair. A small smile quirked at his lips and he slowly sat up. Sanji's head slid down from his stomach onto his legs and the blond stirred, blinking open his eyes.

Sanji then shot up, eyes opening wide and staring at him. "You're awake," he mumbled.

Zoro nodded. "Yeah," he smiled. "We really need to stop doing this, huh?" he snorted.

Sanji rolled his eyes and pushed Zoro's head aside teasingly. Zoro laughed and swiveled to the side, poking Sanji out of the way with his hand and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He stood, unsteady at first, but soon found his feet and he stared indecorously at Sanji.

Sanji burst out laughing.

Zoro scowled. Then he said, "Law healed me?"

Sanji nodded and grabbed his hand, dragging his body closer. Zoro stumbled forward and Sanji caught his lips in a soft kiss, wrapping an arm around Zoro's neck to hold him still. Zoro hummed into the kiss and slid his arm around Sanji's waist, pulling their bodies flush. Sanji bit his lip softly and Zoro instantly knew he wanted to do something that was probably not right for this moment.

He pulled back and brought his lips to Sanji's ear, whispering, "I wanna fuck you so bad."

He could feel it as Sanji face inflamed and the blond coughed into his shoulder. Zoro smirked and bit into Sanji's neck gently, making the blond gasp in shock.

"… Zoro…" Sanji bemoaned. "Not now, we have a meeting to attend," he said, face still flushed as he pulled back.

Zoro pulled away from him with a pout, leaned down and kissed Sanji on the lips before snatching up his katana and marching to the door, turning to look at Sanji expectantly. Sanji huffed, but followed his dumbass husband anyway.

Zoro made his way down the hall, only to be stopped by Sanji's hand turning him around. Sanji motioned for the other hallway and grinned, to which Zoro's face enflamed.

"I knew that," he grumbled.

Sanji laughed.

**o-o-o**

"A Buster Call will destroy all of the island," Robin said flatly.

Sabo nodded his head and Law's face was one of thunder. "We need to stop them before that happens. Me, Lu and Law can hold them off on the ships while you all keep them from destroying the island. We need some strategy," he said.

Robin simply nodded and turned her head to look at her Captain. Luffy was picking his nose and was surely not listening to a word being said. Robin shook her head, a small smile on her face.

"Captain," she said.

Luffy looked up at her and smiled. "What is it, Robin?"

"Do you want to take on Sakazuki?" she simply asked.

The room fell silent and Luffy's head bent a little, shielding his eyes with his hat. A dark aura filled the space around them, filled with hate and anger. Robin knew they had to address this issue sooner or later. Luffy had to do something about this anger.

"I'll kill him," Luffy snarled.

"Oi, oi," Sanji said, laying his hand on Luffy's left shoulder. "You need a clear head for this Cap'n. Do you want to take him on with one of us, or with Sabo?" he asked.

Luffy's eyes slid to Sanji and he relaxed a little. "Sabo," he mumbled.

Sanji smiled and pressed Luffy's head further on his head. "Than that's settled."

Robin smiled. Luffy would not be alone taking on the dangerous Fleet Admiral. He would have his both brothers by his side.

"Alright," Sabo smiled. "Now for the Buster Call."

Robin stiffened a little. "We could take out all the ship's at once. We are with more than enough."

Sabo bit his lip in thinking. Robin had a point.

"I'll go with Chopper-ya," Law piped up.

Chopper looked wide eyed at him, but nodded anyway, a big smile slowly spreading over his face.

"I'll go with Usopp," Nami said. "Sanji and Zoro should go together and Robin can join up with Brook and Franky. Then the rest of your men can take on some ships as well, while you and Luffy take on Sakazuki's ship."

"I can make five other teams," Dragon said from the other side of the table.

Luffy looked at him and nodded, a smirk on his face. "Well sink those bastards, and keep everyone save," he said.

Dragon rolled his eyes, but Robin could see the small smile that pulled at his lips.

"Alright, now for the rest of the plan," Sabo said.

Robin leaned forwards to listen, a sinister smile on her face, hoping she could crack a few skulls for some much needed stress relief.


	20. Chapter 20, Calm Before The Storm

**Hey everyone, this is the last chapter. There will be a secondary part to this on AO3 and the third part "The Maze" is already up there. If you want to follow this, go there. I am glad for all the comments and followers of this story, you all have made me very glad. I hope you all enjoyed it until now!**

**Author-chan**

* * *

**Chapter 20, Calm Before the Storm**

It was the calm before the storm. They had to wait for the Marine ship's to arrive before they could do anything. It was quiet, too quiet for some. The Revolutionaries had taken up their own way of spending time and so had the Straw Hat crew. Luffy had wanted to sit with his brother, and the others had gone to spend some alone time. Everyone was more than stressed, and Sanji knew just how to get Zoro's mind off it all.

"Where are we going?" Zoro asked, resisting the pull of Sanji's hand as he lead them through the corridors.

"Somewhere private, I want to try something," Sanji responded, pulling Zoro along impatiently.

Stress was building up rapidly in all of them and Sanji had to get rid of it somehow. Zoro rose a brow, but then went along with whatever Sanji wanted. They quickly reached the room Sanji had picked and he led both of them inside, locking the door behind him.

Zoro turned to look at him, but was immediately assaulted with hot lips on his own. After a surprised grunt left him, Zoro wrapped his arms around the Cook and his knees touched the back of a bed. He fell onto it and Sanji took advantage of that, running his fingers along Zoro's biceps and his sides.

Zoro ripped his mouth from Sanji's. "What did you want to try?" he breathed in question.

Sanji smirked and pulled back. "I wondered if my power could work on another person, and I wanted to see if it would. If you want to, of course," the Cook said.

Zoro raised his brow in confusion. "How do you plan on doing that?" he asked, sitting up a little.

Sanji slid into his lap and grinned. "I wanted to turn you into a girl," he said. "If you're okay with that," he added.

Zoro looked a little surprised. "Uh," he began. "Sure, I guess."

Sanji looked more than eager and hopped off his lap. Zoro sat up more and breathed in once, then exhaled.

"Alright, go ahead," the Swordsman said.

Zoro watched Sanji as he closed his eyes and stretched out a hand. He laid it on Zoro's arm and the green haired man waited for something to happen. A weird tingling traveled up his arm and he shuddered, but he didn't feel any different.

Sanji opened his eyes and let go of him, locking eyes with his. Zoro raised his brow in question as Sanji's jaw dropped.

"Oh fuck, it worked," the blond breathed.

Zoro frowned. "It did? But I don't feel any different."

Sanji kept staring at him in utter amazement, a blush rising to his cheeks.

"What?" Zoro asked.

"Go look in the mirror, idiot," Sanji whispered.

Zoro frowned, but did as asked, and stood from the bed, walking to the full body mirror to look into it. Zoro's breath caught as he saw himself. Sanji's powers really did work on another person. And Sanji had earlier said that he had to keep touching a person to keep them changed.

"How-" Zoro started, then turned around to look at Sanji.

The blond had no words. Zoro's hair had grown a little longer, touching his neck now. His eyes had become bigger and Sanji had imagined him with sizable breasts, a curving figure and a slender waist. He was still muscular, for a girl.

"What in the name of-" Zoro began, before he cut off with a yelp as Sanji swooped him up and kissed him on the lips.

Zoro protested, but then felt himself melt into the kiss, and he wrapped his arms around his lover tightly. Sanji moaned into Zoro's mouth and the Swordsman bit into his lip, tugging it into his own mouth a little. Sanji set him down on the bed, hands shaking as he pulled Zoro's shirt over his head to reveal nothing underneath. Zoro could practically see Sanji's heart beating in his chest, and he chuckled at the sight.

"I love you," Sanji mumbled as he latched onto Zoro's neck, sucking marks into his skin.

"I love you too," Zoro replied, pressing his mouth to Sanji's golden hair.

The blond laughed into his skin and Zoro smiled. Sanji's tongue slid over his shoulder and down towards his collarbone. Zoro's smile abruptly left his face and he groaned lowly, his chest area sensitive. Sanji licked downwards, tongue poking at Zoro's scar and the Swordsman's breath hitched.

"Fucking hurry," Zoro ground out suddenly.

There was this strange heat in his lower belly and it itched between his legs. Sanji chuckled and a hand traveled over Zoro's stomach and into his loose pants. Zoro hissed at the first touch of Sanji's hand on his aching heat. He shuddered, hard, breath hitching once more.

"Sanji," Zoro moaned as the Cook dipped a finger inside him teasingly.

Zoro had never felt like this before, and Sanji was breathing more heavily every second, he seemed excited beyond normal. Zoro lifted his head and cracked his closed eyes open to look at his lover, a teasing smirk on his lips.

"You're a real pervert, aren't you?" he breathed, sitting up a little to clasp a hand behind Sanji's neck and pull him in for a kiss.

Sanji pulled back with a grin. "Of course," he said, wiggling his finger and making Zoro gasp out loud.

Sanji's fingers dipped in more and Zoro could feel it clearly. It was strange, but not unwelcome. He couldn't wait to get off, he really needed it. Sanji's mouth was hot on his shoulder and Zoro moaned softly, hands clenched in Sanji's hair. The blond groaned into him and Zoro could feel the vibration as it travelled into him. He shuddered, hard.

"Sanji, please," he whispered.

He couldn't take it anymore. Zoro was on fire and he was going to combust if he something wasn't done soon. Sanji sat up and kept his finger moving inside of Zoro, gently. He leaned down and flicked his tongue over Zoro's stomach, the Swordsman flinching away. Sanji's tongue was hot and wet and just the right pressure. Zoro threw his head back and panted, waiting for the moment Sanji would finally let him release his pent up tension.

"I'm gonna add another, okay?" Sanji panted harshly over him and Zoro realized the Cook still wore all of his clothes.

"Undress, come on," Zoro mumbled, pulling Sanji's suit jacket.

"I can't," Sanji said.

Zoro frowned and stared at him for a moment, then realized that if Sanji had to undress he had to remove his fingers.

"Oh," Zoro said. "Can I cut them off?" he asked then.

Sanji stilled for half a second, contemplating if he would let Zoro ruin his suit. His arousal won in the end and he nodded quickly. Zoro quickly pulled his Wado from her scabbard that was still hanging on his waist and put the tip to Sanji's thigh. The seam of the slacks tore almost immediately and Sanji let out a relieved sigh. Zoro would never completely destroy any of Sanji's clothes, that would be bad.

Zoro slid the blade down and cut off Sanji's pants, who then removed them with one hand. The Swordsman sliced off his suit button and Sanji shucked it off, letting it hang of his busy arm. His shirt came loose, but he didn't take it off, and the tie also hung loosely over his shoulders.

Zoro looked at him properly. His hair was a mess, blond strands almost everywhere and blue eyes hazy with lust. Sanji wanted him, and it was obvious. Zoro pulled on his hair and Sanji rose up to meet him in a kiss, swiping his tongue over Zoro's bottom lip and the Swordsman opened up. He moaned into Sanji's mouth and the Cook closed his eyes.

The green-haired man (in a woman's body) jolted as Sanji added another finger to the one already inside him. He groaned at the weird feeling, the stretch quite uncomfortable. Sanji went slow, though, and that made all the difference. After a few minutes, Zoro was comfortable again and panting heavily, boobs moving as his chest heaved. He was quite confused with this new body and jerked violently when Sanji latched onto his nipple, sucking on it and kneading the breast in his hand. The Swordsman moaned quietly and squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

Sanji pulled off with a filthy _pop_ and Zoro groaned as the blonde moved down his body, and suddenly there was a warm tongue on his clit. Zoro practically screamed and his hands flew to Sanji's hair, body twitching as Sanji worked him into orgasm. The Swordsman's whole body shuddered and locked up and he came hard, vision going white and noise fading away.

Slowly, Zoro came back to himself and watched as Sanji licked his lips, a smirk on the blond's face. Zoro scowled, but that was quickly wiped off his face as Sanji moved his fingers, now three and deep within Zoro. He squeaked and shuddered out a breath, gripping his own longer hair and pulling.

"Hurry up," Zoro repeated his earlier plea and Sanji swallowed hard, Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he did so.

"Yeah," the blond said, licking his lips again.

He moved forward, cock hard and flushed red. Zoro gulped, would it fit inside him? He could take it, right? He shuddered again and his muscles tensed. Sanji pulled his fingers out and wiped them on the sheets before running his hand over Zoro's thigh, up his side and stayed there.

"Relax," he said. "I'll go slow," he added.

Zoro could see that Sanji was speaking the truth, his blue eyes blazing and sparkling and deep. He nodded once, and Sanji looked down to line up with him. Slowly, very slowly, the Cook moved forwards and Zoro could feel him intrude. It was a weird feeling, but no longer uncomfortable and painful. Sanji's cock was obviously bigger than his fingers, and Zoro could feel the stretch burn, but it was pleasant and added to the pleasure he was already feeling.

Sanji bottomed out. Zoro gasped, eyes flying open and hands scrambling for purchase. Sanji's hands found his and pressed them into the mattress. Zoro could feel him tremble, trying his best to keep still. The Swordsman realized he had been tensing up and he relaxed with a little effort. He breathed in once, then out and looked at Sanji's face.

"I love you," he said again.

Sanji gazed at him through his locks and smiled. "I love you too, Zoro," he said.

Zoro's eyes fell on the necklace hanging from Sanji's neck, the Sapphire blue sparkling like his eyes. He ran his hand over it and Sanji did the same to his.

"Forever," Zoro whispered against Sanji's lips as he leaned up.

"Forever," Sanji replied between kisses and his hips began to move, a slow, steady rhythm that relayed how much the blond really loved him.

Zoro smiled, he loved Sanji, and Sanji loved him back. They would come out of this mess together, sail the world to it's end, find the All Blue, he'd become the Greatest Swordsman and they would live happily ever after.

"Forever," Zoro repeated.

Sanji's moan was soft, but the word was repeated again and Zoro closed his eyes to bask in this moment of calm before the storm.


End file.
